


To Melt a Frozen Heart

by Emerald_Kat



Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket (Anime 2001)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Redemption
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:55:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 33,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22781329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emerald_Kat/pseuds/Emerald_Kat
Summary: Just what is so special about Tohru Honda? Akito wants to know. He invites her to Sohma House for a chat one afternoon, quickly finding that, much to his abhorrence, the more time he spends with her, the more he starts to enjoy her company.
Relationships: Honda Tohru/Sohma Akito
Comments: 8
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone, I just want to share a few quick things before we jump in. To start, I feel I need to make it clear that, yes, I know Akito Sohma's true gender is female. In the Fruits Basket manga she is introduced as a man, but is revealed to actually be a woman much later on in the series. In the 2001 anime adaptation of Fruits Basket, however, Akito is quite obviously a guy. And also incredibly attractive...
> 
> ...I didn't say that.
> 
> Jokes aside, this story is intended to be my rendition of the would-be second season of the original Fruits Basket anime. In other words, it's my take on how things would've played out for Tohru and the rest of the Sohmas if Akito had, in fact, been a man instead of a woman. Given what we know about Tohru and her uncanny ability to touch the heart of nearly every single person she encounters, I don't think it's a stretch for me to say that she likely would've succeeded in winning Akito over as well. Not right away, of course, but eventually. And that's what this story is all about.
> 
> Folks, you have no idea how much Fruits Basket means to me. To this day it continues to be one of my absolute favorite stories of all time. The characters are truly something to be treasured, each and every single one of them, and I hope that these feelings are reflected in the way that I portray them here. 
> 
> And that's all I've got. So without any further ado...here you go. Enjoy!

Things were eerily at peace in the Sohma household late that afternoon. Kyo was in the living room watching TV, feeling bored but at a loss as to what he could be doing otherwise. His cousin Shigure was sitting behind him in a chair, scribbling away on a pad of lined notepaper. Yuki, Kyo's other cousin, was outside caring for the plants in their garden. Tohru Honda, the Sohma's dear friend and housemate, was upstairs in her bedroom, no doubt working diligently on that night's homework assignment.

It was calm. It was quiet.

 _Too quiet_ , Kyo thought as he leaned forward so that he could rest his chin against his fist. His eyes were still fixed dazedly on the television screen in front of him. He was beginning to wonder if hell had frozen over, when suddenly…

 _Riiiiiiing_.

The telephone rang, and it appeared that was all that was needed to shatter the fragile illusion of tranquility in their home.

"Kyo," Shigure said in a tone so sickly sweet it was enough to make Kyo grit his teeth. "Would you be a dear and grab the phone for me? I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment."

_Riiiiiiing._

Kyo stood and clenched his fists, glaring daggers at the dog's lazily reclining figure. "Why do _I_ gotta do it?" he demanded. "Make that damn rat!"

_Riiiiiiing._

"Kyo." Shigure sighed, though somehow managed to retain a pleasant tone as he said, "You know Yuki went outside. And I, as I already mentioned, am busy."

Kyo growled. "Busy doing _what_? Writing another one of your nasty romance novels?"

_Riiiiiiing._

"Oh would someone get that pleeease?" Shigure sang, ignoring his cousin's derogatory comment. "Tohru-!"

"Coming!" Tohru shouted from upstairs. "Don't worry, Shigure, I've got it!" She pounded hurriedly down the steps. Once she'd reached the main floor she walked over to where the house phone was kept on a small table in the foyer.

The cat seethed as he watched Tohru pick up the phone. She needed to stop letting Shigure push her around! She should tell him off for once, show him that he wasn't the boss of her...

Kyo let the thought end there with a shake of his head. Because who was he kidding? Tohru would never talk back to Shigure, despite the fact that both he and Yuki regularly encouraged her to do so.

 _She's too nice for her own good_ , he thought. _One of these days_ _some sick bastard is gonna see how vulnerable and compliant she is and try to take advantage of her. Or worse._

The idea of such a thing happening was enough to make Kyo shudder. He was always worried about Tohru, and while he often found himself writing these overprotective feelings off as nothing more than concern for his friend's safety, deep down, he knew that there was a greater, much more significant reason for his unwavering desire to keep Tohru out of harm's way. He wasn't about to admit what that reason was, though.

 _Forget it,_ he told himself for probably the hundredth time since he'd met Tohru. _It's not gonna happen. Not now, not tomorrow…not ever._

He glanced down at the black and white beads that encircled his left wrist. They were a constant reminder of what he was and of what he could never be. Of what he could never _have_.

 _All the better for her,_ he thought, sighing sadly to himself.

* * *

Tohru was grinning broadly, happy to have just finished the last of that night's homework. The phone had rang at the perfect moment, a mere seconds after she'd put away her books and supplies. Then again, even if she hadn't been finished, she still would have volunteered to answer the phone for Shigure. Ignoring him would have been inconsiderate, and Tohru Honda was _never_ inconsiderate, least of all to the Sohmas, the people who had been so kind to her and given her so much. The last thing she wanted was to seem ungrateful for all they'd done for her, and besides, she didn't mind helping Shigure out by answering the phone for him every now and then.

"Hello?" she said cheerfully as she lifted the phone to her ear. "Sohma residence. Tohru speaking."

"Ah, Tohru Honda. I was _so_ hoping you would be the one to answer."

Tohru's eyes widened at the sound of the razor sharp voice. She froze, her hands going slack, and she nearly dropped the phone before managing to whisper timidly into the receiver, "A-Akito? Is...is that you?" 

There was a soft, cruel chuckle on the other end. "That's right. Now tell me, Miss Tohru Honda: Is that hideous cat there with you?"

Tohru swallowed hard, gripping the phone as tightly as she could. "N-no."

"What about my darling Yuki?"

"No."

"And the mongrel?"

"No. Shigure and Kyo are both in the living room."

Tohru took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. If she were being honest, in that moment she wanted nothing more than to shout at Akito, to demand why he was calling and what he wanted. But she couldn't. She _wouldn't._ To do such a thing would be terribly impolite, and Tohru always did her best to be as cordial as possible, especially when she was speaking to someone who was as important and revered as Akito, the head of the Sohma family.

"Good." Akito sounded quite pleased at that bit of information. "Now I need you to listen very carefully, because I'm only going to say this once."

Tohru was grateful that no one was around to see how wobbly her head looked as she nodded. "Um. Okay."

There was a brief pause. Then Akito continued, his voice much lower than before, almost as though he was trying to avoid being overheard. "I must speak with you, Tohru Honda. At Sohma House. _Alone_. Do you understand what I'm asking?"

Tohru's heart began to pound as terror seized her. Just last week she'd called on Akito at Sohma House, and to say that their interaction had been unpleasant would've been a massive understatement. At one point during her visit Akito had become so furious with her that he'd reached out and grabbed her by the head. He'd pulled so hard that for a moment Tohru could've sworn he was going to rip her hair straight from its roots. She winced at the painful memory. She wouldn't endure that kind of treatment again. She _wouldn't._

"Yes. I understand. What about Hatori, though?" she murmured hopefully. "Will he be there when I visit? I know he usually likes to-"

"No," Akito interrupted, his voice clipped. "I will make certain he is occupied so that we may speak privately."

Now Tohru was starting to feel light-headed. To see Akito was one thing, but to be left alone with him? That was something else entirely. "But...are you sure that he'll be okay with-"

"What's the matter, Miss Tohru Honda? Are you afraid to be alone with me?"

"No," she immediately denied. "I was only thinking-"

"Of the other day, when you were here?" Akito mused, his voice jeering. "Yes, I am sure that that incident was more than enough to frighten you away from me for a time. But it doesn't matter. As head of the Sohma family I am _ordering_ you to come to the Main House tomorrow."

Tohru was shaking her head over and over again. "I…tomorrow?"

"Yes. Tomorrow at 4 o'clock. And make _sure_ you are alone. Have I made myself quite clear?"

Tohru hesitated a moment. _What_ , she wondered, _would Yuki and Kyo say if they were here?_

They would tell her not to go. Of course they would. They would tell her that Akito was too dangerous to be alone with. Kyo, being as hot-headed as he was, would likely proceed to declare that Akito had no right to be ordering her around in the first place. Tohru smiled at the thought of Kyo jumping so readily to her defense. He certainly wouldn't be wrong in making such a statement. After all, Tohru was not a member of the Sohma family, so technically, she didn't have to listen to a damn thing Akito said.

 _But I am slowly becoming a member of their family,_ she reasoned. _Well, an adopted member, that is. But that means I have to have the same respect for Akito that they do, even if sometimes he can be a little...scary._

"Tohru Honda?"

Tohru shook herself out of her daze. "Yes? I am so sorry! I'm still here! I—I only-"

"Silence. I hate mindless babbling. I also hate repeating myself, though by the sounds of it, I'm probably going to have to."

"No. I heard you. Main House tomorrow at 4 o'clock!"

"Good. Now-"

"Tohru?" Shigure suddenly poked his head around the corner, making Tohru gasp in surprise. His eyes were gleaming with mischief as he asked her, "Who are you talking to, hmm? Such a serious expression! I wonder…" He tapped a finger to his chin, casting her a playful sidelong look. "Do you, perhaps, have a secret boyfriend that you've neglected to tell us about?"

Tohru blushed fiercely at the accusation, even though she knew that he was likely only teasing. "No! I…err…I am, uh, talking to Hana! We have a school project that we need to get a head start on!"

Shigure just stared at her, and with every passing second, Tohru's heart beat faster and faster, until she was almost certain that it would burst.

Did Shigure suspect she was lying? Was she really so obvious?

But just like that, the dog flashed her one of his trademark smiles. "Well, all right!" he said giddily, turning to go back into the living room. "Just don't stay on too late. There are dishes that still need to be done!"

He walked away humming merrily to himself.

The moment he was gone, Tohru breathed a sigh of relief. That was a close one!

"Is he gone?"

Tohru jumped. For a moment she had almost forgotten Akito was still on the phone with her. "Oh! Um, yes. He's gone."

"Finally. I thought he was never going to leave," Akito muttered. "Now then, that's all I needed from you, Miss Tohru Honda. Run along and go to bed. Oh, and don't tell _anyone_ about our little discussion."

"Err, yes, but I have to do the dishes first and-"

Akito cut her off. "Whatever," he grumbled impatiently. "Just go on acting like this entire conversation never happened. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon at 4 o'clock."

Tohru managed a firm nod. "Right."

If she was going to do this, she couldn't allow herself to be afraid of Akito. He was just a man, after all, albeit a seriously troubled one, but who knew? Maybe soon she would discover that he wasn't such a bad person, deep down.

 _Everyone has some good in them, after all!_ Tohru reminded herself.

But even as she thought the words, a part of her had to confess that they sounded much more like her mother's than her own.

"Okay." Tohru could almost hear Akito smirking through the phone as he told her, "Sleep tight, Tohru Honda."

Then the line went dead.

* * *

Akito was still chuckling to himself long after he'd ended the call.

 _She's clearly terrified of me_ , he thought. _She could barely find the sense to form words. I wouldn't be surprised if she's up all night, wondering what I have in store for her tomorrow._

Sleep tight? Akito snorted. Those had been nothing but words of mockery. He knew very well that she wouldn't be able to sleep. In fact, she probably wouldn't be able to think about anything but him for the rest of the night. And that was precisely what Akito wanted, to plague Tohru Honda's thoughts day and night so that tomorrow, when she stood before him, she would whimper and cower like a helpless little girl. He wanted her to fear him, to tremble in his shadow, just like his zodiac did.

 _I will show her once and for all that I am in control of this family._ _She may have won the hearts of those filthy animals, but compared to me she has no power over them._

Akito dug his sharp fingernails into one of the cracks in the hardwood floor beneath him, frowning discontentedly to himself all the while. Because even in his mind the words had rang untrue. Tohru Honda _did_ have power over his zodiac. Quite a lot, in fact. Akito felt his scowl deepen.

 _What is it_ , he wondered, _that they all love so much about that stupid woman?_

He took a moment to consider her general appearance. Was it the innocent, doe-eyed look she always wore? Her nauseatingly cheerful grin? He simply didn't understand-

"Akito?"

There was a soft knock on the bedroom door, and the zodiac god hissed as the familiar figure of a tall, thin man in a white doctor's coat filled the entryway.

"What is it now, Hatori?" Akito snapped.

Hatori stepped forward, surveying the room carefully before replying. "You haven't taken your medicine yet," he said, only to trail off when he noticed where, precisely, Akito was seated. The doctor cast a short, questioning glance at the large four poster bed that sat in the far right corner of the room before promptly returning his gaze back down to the zodiac god. "Akito," he said warily, "why are you sitting on the floor?"

Akito let his head roll back until it rested against the wall, sighing irritably. There the dragon was, going on about medicine again. As if it would help. No, the entire Sohma family was already very much aware of the zodiac god's impending death. No amount of medical care could alter his fate, so why not just leave him to it? It wasn't as though anyone was truly interested in the prospect of prolonging his life anyway.

Oh, his family _said_ they cared for him. They _claimed_ that they were grieved by the knowledge that he was destined to live a short, miserable life. But Akito knew that their words were nothing more than lies. They only ever came to see him because they were bound to him by the curse. Even Hatori only looked after him because he was the official Sohma family doctor. Because it was his _job_.

 _None of them are going to miss me when I'm gone,_ Akito thought grimly to himself. _They're all just waiting for it to happen. Then they can dance on my grave and get on with their pathetic lives without me standing in the way._

Akito flexed his fingers, suppressing the desire to wince at the instant ache he could feel in his joints afterward. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that the hour of his death was drawing near. He grew weaker with each passing day, and still his family members could not seem to find so much as a single shred of genuine care for him in their hearts. Which was why it vexed Akito all the more to watch as they practically tripped over themselves to worship Tohru Honda. Even the cursed cat had developed a soft spot for her. The thought was almost enough to make Akito wretch.

As far as he could see, there was nothing about the girl that set her apart from any other average person. All she ever seemed to do was smile and stutter like a damn fool. There was no denying that she looked cute while doing it—a fact that Akito would sooner bash his own head in before ever admitting to aloud—but what, aside from her moderately attractive physical features, did the rest of the Sohmas find to be so appealing about her?

Could it be that they were touched by the idiotic sentimental crap she was always spewing? Like the other day. What was it she'd said to him?

" _When you pass away, Akito, we will be very sad. We will be very sad to lose you_."

The memory itself was enough to make Akito's hands quiver with rage. Those words...they were nothing but another lie. She'd been _lying_ to him, just like his zodiac always did.

 _She'll pay for that,_ Akito promised himself. _I may have agreed to let her exist within our inner circle, but no one lies to my face and goes unpunished._

"Akito?"

The zodiac god returned his attention to Hatori. "Very well." He waved for the doctor to leave. "Go and fetch my medicine, if you insist."

Hatori watched him for a moment, his face betraying no emotion. "All right," he said finally. "I'll return in a few minutes. Wait right here."

"Like I have anywhere else to go, Hatori," Akito snapped.

Honestly. Stupid dragon.

Stupid zodiac. Stupid _animals_. They ought to have been grateful for all that he did for them! For bearing the full weight of the curse, for being the one to suffer the most under it! And yet there they were, loving a _girl_ more than they did him. An outsider. An inferior. A _nobody_.

 _Tomorrow I'll find out,_ Akito promised himself. _I'll find out once and for all what is so special about Tohru Honda, if anything._

And if she dared disobey any of the orders he had given her, he would find a way to ensure that she suffered just as much as his zodiac did. Possibly even more.


	2. Chapter 2

Halfway to school the next morning, Tohru stopped and looked at the two boys walking alongside her.

"Um, Yuki? Kyo?"

Both of them turned to Tohru with immediate interest. "Nn?" They glared at each other for speaking in unison, though Tohru didn't so much as give them the chance to break into an argument.

"I, uh, I have to work after school today," she told them nervously. "So I won't be walking home with you later. Okay?"

Kyo regarded her with a frown. "Work? You never work on Thursdays."

"Yes, well I, uh…my manager told me that I have to come in today. As extra help. And I have to do what he says, since he's my boss!"

Tohru managed a weak laugh, sighing inwardly. She hated lying to her friends. In fact, lying was something she rarely ever did. But Akito had made her swear not to say anything about their upcoming meeting to Yuki, Kyo, or Shigure, and she was going to do her absolute best to respect his wishes.

"Miss Honda, are you sure?" Yuki asked her, his indigo eyes flashing with a look of concern. "It doesn't seem likely that they would ever be shorthanded at the building where you work. They have more than enough employees, after all."

Tohru nodded, trying to look certain. "Yes! I'm sure. He said Thursday."

Yuki and Kyo exchanged a short, dubious glance.

"You doin' okay?" Kyo asked her. "You look…I dunno. Kinda jumpy. And I mean more so than usual."

Tohru smiled wider in an attempt to seem more like her normal self. "Am I?" she said. "Oh, well then it must be because of that big test we have today! I studied really hard, but I still don't know how well I'm going to do…"

And for the rest of the walk to school, she somehow managed to steer them away from the subject of work and kept them talking about the upcoming test in their mathematics class.

* * *

"So how do you think you did?" Arisa Uotani asked Tohru later that day.

Tohru gave her blonde friend a small shrug. "Oh, I don't know. Some of the questions were really hard."

Saki Hanajima, Tohru's second closest friend, put a gentle, reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure you did fine," she said encouragingly, her soft voice as airy and haunting as ever. "You almost always do well on exams, after all."

Arisa chuckled. "Yeah. No kiddin', right? Tohru's the one with the brains in our little group."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Tohru said, smiling shyly. "Kyo is pretty smart, too."

"Orange top?" Arisa cast Kyo a glance across the classroom. "Huh. Well, that's news to me. I see him as more the type of guy that would blow everything off. I mean, just look at him, sitting there all hunched over with that scowl on his face. I actually get the impression that he doesn't care about much of anything at all…"

With his cat-like hearing, Kyo could hear every word that Tohru and her friends were saying, and with every moment he could feel himself growing angrier.

 _That damn Arisa really needs to shut the hell up,_ he thought as he seethed quietly to himself at his desk.

But the annoying girl just kept running her mouth. "How do you put up with him, Tohru? Don't you and Writer Guy ever get sick of him? I know the Prince does..."

Kyo gritted his teeth. _Shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut-_

"Arisa," Hana spoke suddenly. "Kyo Sohma's electric signals suggest that he is currently quite agitated with you."

Kyo could practically hear the sneer in Arisa's voice as she said, "Oh, really? You don't say. Yo, ORANGE TOP!"

Finally having enough, Kyo spun around in his seat. " _What,_ damn it?" he snarled.

Arisa smirked back at him. "Your roots are showing."

Kyo growled and slammed his hands down hard on his desk. Why was Tohru's Yankee friend always trying to start crap with him? He didn't ever do anything to provoke _her_! Well...okay, maybe sometimes he _did_ say things that were meant to goad her. But at least he didn't ever make fun of things about her that were beyond her control.

"Oh, please don't fight," Tohru said before Kyo could retort. "School's almost out for the day, and I think we need to try to end it on a good note! Okay?"

Arisa and Hana immediately nodded and voiced their agreement, whereas Kyo found that he could only gape dumbly at Tohru.

 _How the hell does she always stay so positive?_ he wondered, quickly snapping his jaw shut so that he didn't continue to sit there with his mouth jutting open like an idiot. _It's so damn irritating._

And yet, at the same time, there was something about Tohru's quirky, overly optimistic personality that he liked. That he admired. More than admired, actually.

Kyo shook his head. He couldn't think of the right word to describe what he felt for Tohru...well, he _could_ , but again, there was no use in even entertaining such an idea.

 _Damn it, why do I always do this to myself?_ _She'd be better off with just about anyone else, and besides, Akito would never let us be together. Even if I asked her out and she said yes, we'd be forced to end our relationship eventually when they…when they…_

He winced, clenching his hands into tight fists beneath his desk, though he made it a point of forcing himself to finish the thought: _When they lock me up._

And with that, Kyo opened one of his schoolbooks and attempted to focus his attention on his studies, all the while doing his best to ignore the jolt of pain he felt in his heart every time he heard Tohru laughing with her friends behind him.

* * *

The suspense was nearly killing Akito.

 _In just a little under an hour, she'll be here,_ he thought as he eyed the small, ticking wooden clock that sat on the table near his bedside.

He turned then and stalked toward the window, chuckling as he thought of his last meeting with Tohru Honda, of the way she'd stuttered and averted her gaze whenever he spoke to her. Pathetic girl. That's all she was. _So why is it_ , he wondered, _that the zodiac don't seem to realize as much?_ _Why do they all continue to look to and trail after her like she's so...special?_

There was that infuriating word again. _Special_ _._ Akito still remembered very distinctly the first time he'd ever heard it. It had been spoken by his father, Akira Sohma. Though Akira had died when Akito was very young, Akito still remembered some things about him. For instance, he remembered that his father had had kind blue eyes and long, jet-black hair, just like his. In fact, now that Akito thought about it, he supposed that he likely looked very similar to the way his father had when he was a young man. Minus, of course, the kind eyes. Akito's eyes, while certainly blue like Akira's, held no kindness within them, but were cold as ice. Somehow, though, Akito doubted that they had been nearly as cold while Akira was alive. Because Akira had loved him. He'd _loved_ his son, and had never failed to shower him with kind words and affection, telling him how truly unique and special he believed he was.

" _You are the god of the cursed spirits of the Chinese zodiac,"_ Akito remembered him saying. " _And that means that you are special. You are special, my son, because you were born to be loved."_

And that's what Akito had believed for the first several years of his life. But then one morning, shortly after Akira's death, Akito had fallen very ill. He was rushed to the Sohma family doctors, and immediately they had known what ailed him.

" _Oh yes, your father forgot to tell you before he passed on. Being 'god' of the Chinese zodiac isn't all fun and games. You don't have the burden of transforming into an animal when you are embraced by a member of the opposite sex. You do have another burden to bear, however, and that is that of the curse itself. You are its very life force. It will drain you; your body will always be weak, but it will become even more so over time, and you likely won't live past the age of twenty."_

Akito shook his head. The doctors hadn't broken the news to him in those exact words, of course, but they'd might as well have. Because really, what is a sensitive way of telling a child that he is destined to die young? There isn't one.

" _You are its very life force...your body will always be weak..."_

That was the day that Akito's outlook had changed, the day that he realized his father had been wrong. Being "god" of the Chinese zodiac didn't mean he was special. It meant he was cursed. Just like they were.

Only worse.

"… _won't live past the age of twenty…"_

Every day Akito tried to forget the fact that his twentieth birthday was drawing nearer, now just a few months away. But hard as he fought, he found that he simply couldn't push the thought from his mind.

He would live to twenty if he was _lucky_ , the doctors had said, which meant that he could die at any moment. Honestly, he wouldn't have even been surprised if he were to suddenly collapse and die right then and there, in the middle of his bedroom floor. He certainly felt weak enough to do so.

Akito stared down at his pale, withered hands. For a moment he considered that perhaps it would've been better if he'd asked Tohru Honda to arrive at Sohma House at 3:30 rather than 4:00. Because there was no telling how much time he had left, and if there was one thing he wanted to do before he expired, it was prove to his zodiac that they'd been wrong about the girl. That she wasn't truly as special as they'd once believed. That they should have been spending their precious time with _him_ rather than her.

He smirked at the thought of making them all feel guilty. That was yet another thing he'd like to see before he met his end. He'd like to see those filthy animals actually feel regretful for the way that they'd neglected him for so many years. He was their god, after all; they were supposed to revere _him,_ not some witless, insignificant woman who-

His thoughts were interrupted by a light tap on the bedroom door.

"Master Akito?"

It was one of the house maids. Her voice was shaky and hesitant, and Akito turned to cast a glare at the now open doorway. Despite the apparent frailty of his body, Akito had a reputation for being a menacing man in both appearance and demeanor. He knew this to be true. Even the maids at Sohma House feared disturbing him, despite most of them having worked there for years. Akito fought to hold back another smirk as he waited to hear the announcement of the maid in question.

"You have a visitor here to see you," she said at last. "Should I...tell her to leave?"

Akito smiled smugly as his eyes darted again in the direction of his bedside clock. It was only 3:40. Tohru Honda was _early._ Perfect.

"Of course not," he said. "Let her come in."


	3. Chapter 3

Akito prepared himself as the maid bowed her head and stepped aside. He waited and waited, but after several long moments had passed, it became clear that there was no one else there.

 _Where is she?_ he thought, feeling slightly annoyed. _I don't see anyone but that stupid maid._

He considered that perhaps Tohru Honda had been so overcome by terror that she had run away. Much as this thought amused Akito, however, he sincerely hoped that that was not the case. Because if she had fled, he would have no choice but to order someone to chase after her, and...well, that would just waste time.

" _Akito._ "

The zodiac god blinked in surprise. He knew very well that that shout had not come from meek little Tohru Honda.

_Who in the hell-?_

A tall young woman strode purposefully through the open doorway. Strands of long black hair whipped behind her as she made her way toward the zodiac god, her hands clenched tightly into fists at her sides. When their eyes met, Akito found he couldn't help but sneer.

"Ah, my lovely Isuzu," he said, though the words were laced with mockery as he told her, "What a surprise to see you. Do come in."

Akito paused to study her lean, strikingly feminine figure. Isuzu Sohma. The horse. Strong-willed, fierce, independent...rejected. Akito smirked. He hadn't been lying when he said that he was surprised to see her. He _was_ irritated that she'd shown up without appointment—Tohru Honda would be arriving soon, after all—but watching his stubborn mare grow angrier and angrier had never ceased to be one of the zodiac god's favorite pastimes. And by the looks of it, he already had quite a head start. Isuzu's dark eyes were smoldering as she leveled her gaze with his; she was _already_ very angry, though for what reason Akito couldn't begin to fathom.

Isuzu's eyes never left him, and when there was no more than a foot or so of space between them, she finally stopped.

Akito tilted his head to one side. "Why do you stare at me so intensely? Do you have something you wish to say?"

Isuzu's face twisted into a scowl that was almost enough to make her look ugly. Almost. "Don't play dumb," she snapped. "You _know_ why I'm here."

But he didn't. For once, Akito was truly confused. Normally, whenever Isuzu came stomping toward him in a fit of rage, he knew immediately what it was he'd done. This time, though, he found that he was completely clueless.

"I don't know, actually," Akito said. He extended one arm, inspecting his fingernails, trying to look bored. "But be a dear and spit it out for me, would you? I'm expecting a visitor soon-"

"Don't you _dare_ hurt that girl. Do you hear me? I don't know who she is or why the hell Shigure is letting her stay in his house, but-"

"It sounds like your quarrel is with Shigure," Akito interrupted calmly, "not me."

At that, Isuzu inhaled sharply. Now she just looked murderous. " _You're_ the one who's allowing her to stay with him! You could have said no. You could have sent her away. Better yet, you could've had Hatori suppress her memories-"

"Yes, but would that have been the _civil_ thing to do? The foolish woman wanted to keep her memories of the Sohmas so badly. Shigure and the others seemed to want her to as well, so how could I possibly say no?"

"Since when have _you_ ever had a problem with telling any of us no? Give me a break! You would _never_ let an outsider into this family unless you had some kind of plan up your sleeve!"

Akito raised both of his hands flat out in front of him. Isuzu really was _very_ entertaining when she was angry. Which was basically all the time. _Perhaps,_ he thought, _I should order her to come to Sohma House more often. It_ does _tend to get rather boring around here during the week..._

"All right, all right," he said. "So what if I _do_ have an ulterior motive? What's it to you?" He crossed his arms, eyeing her as he waited expectantly for an answer. " _Well_? Why do you even care what happens to this woman?"

Honestly. What was it about Tohru Honda that made everyone want to jump to her defense? It was truly infuriating for Akito to witness.

"I...I just hate it when good people get hurt," Isuzu replied after a long moment of silence. She gazed down at the floor then, her face softening slightly. "I hate it so much, I can hardly stand it. And if she chooses to remain involved with this family, she _will_ get hurt. It's what always happens."

Good person? Isuzu believed that Tohru Honda was a _good person?_ Akito's mind flashed with a rage so intense that he had to turn his back on the horse in order to keep himself from lashing out at her.

"Get out," he said. "And don't return anytime soon. If you do, I swear you will regret it. "

But Isuzu stepped forward, not letting him put any distance between them. "I'm not going anywhere until you order Shigure to kick that girl out of his house. She doesn't belong with us-"

That's when Akito decided he'd had enough. He turned swiftly on Isuzu, reaching out just in time before she could try to scurry away. His arms were shaking as he seized her wrist and yanked her toward him, until their faces were inches apart.

"Who do you think you are?" he demanded, his voice low, yet sharp and authoritative. Wide-eyed, Isuzu tried to break away, but Akito tightened his grip on her. "You think you can just walk right in here and order me around? _I_ am in charge of this family! _I_ say who remains in it and who does not!" He threw his head back then, chuckling darkly. "Tohru Honda has made her choice to stay, and if in the end she suffers as you all do, then she has no one to blame but herself."

He could easily have said more. In fact, he likely would have, had he not been cut off by the sound of the bedroom door sliding open.

"Err…Master Akito?" It was the same maid who had disturbed him earlier. She sounded even more frightened than before, no doubt because she'd just heard him admonishing Isuzu. "You have another visitor here to see you."

A devilish look flickered across Akito's face. _Could it be...?_

"Should I...tell her that you are busy?" the maid stuttered. "That you are already talking with-"

"No."

Akito abruptly released his hold on Isuzu. "Get out," he told her, swiping one of his hands through the air in an arcing motion. "I'm finished with you for now."

Isuzu rubbed her wrist as she stared at him, her mouth slightly ajar. For a moment she almost looked like she might cry. But her eyes quickly narrowed again as she nodded and made her way toward the door.

Akito smirked at her back as she went. He knew that he would win in the end. He always did, after all. _If she were smart, she would've stopped these insolent confrontations years ago,_ he thought smugly to himself.

But just as she had her hand on the door, Isuzu spoke again. "Haru agrees with me."

Akito growled. _What is she doing?_ She'd lost! Couldn't she just swallow her pride and leave him in peace?

"I said Haru agrees with me," Isuzu repeated. "He's met the girl. He knows she's kind, and he's worried that if she keeps living with Shigure and Yuki-"

"Oh, and I suppose _he_ was the one who inspired you to come and speak with me?"

But Isuzu just shook her head. "Don't think you've won, because you haven't. Haru and I are _not_ going to let you destroy her."

Akito frowned, annoyed by the way that she spoke so fondly of Hatsuharu. He had known for quite some time that Isuzu and Hatsuharu were…well, _together_ , but he hated to be constantly reminded of the fact. They were related _,_ after all—either second or third cousins—and didn't that make their relationship incestuous on some level? Perhaps _._ Perhaps not. Akito still wasn't sure. Regardless, he found the entire ordeal to be completely nauseating, not to mention the fact that they'd never asked him permission to have such a relationship in the first place.

In fact, now that he thought about it, he realized that he still needed to punish them for that…

"Master Akito?" It was that hag maid again. "What do you wish for me to-"

"Let her in. And be sure to shut the door behind you."

The maid blinked in bewilderment before bowing and stepping aside. And that's when someone else stepped into the entryway. Akito smirked, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction when he saw who was standing there awaiting his greeting.

"Welcome back to Sohma House, Miss Tohru Honda. Please come in."

* * *

Tohru made a sloppy bow to Akito. She was _so_ nervous, but she was going to do her best not to let him know it.

"Oh! Thank you so much!" she said. "I'm very sorry, but...I didn't bring a gift! Please forgive me. I..." She averted her gaze to the right, where a pale girl with long black hair was standing, staring at her. Tohru thought she looked rather distraught.

 _I wonder if she's all right,_ she thought worriedly. _Or maybe she just doesn't like me being here?_

"You're a guest. Think nothing of it," Akito said smoothly. "But please, do come in. I had the maids prepare some tea for your arrival-"

"Are you kidding me?"

Tohru's heart leaped at the sudden shout. She turned to face the black-haired girl, who now looked even more upset than she had just a few moments ago.

 _Even so, she is still so beautiful!_ Tohru thought. _I wonder if she's a Sohma._

The girl jabbed a finger at Tohru. "This is her, isn't it? _Isn't it?_ "

Akito took a long, deep breath before replying, almost as though he was trying to calm himself—which, Tohru knew, was very likely to be the case. "Who my visitors are and why they come to see me is none of your concern." His voice was low and monotonous, but there was no mistaking the underlying threat to his words as he said, "And anyway, I believe I just told you that it was in your best interest to _leave._ Now."

For several moments, no one spoke. Tohru could feel a sort of malevolent tension steadily building between the girl and Akito as they glared at one another. She fidgeted anxiously as she waited for one of them to say something, _anything_.

"This isn't over," the girl finally declared. "You haven't heard the last from me. Or Haru. That I can promise you."

And with that she swept past Tohru and was out the door in the blink of an eye.

A beat passed before Tohru returned her attention to the zodiac god. "Um…Akito?" she said. "Who was that girl?"

In response, Akito snorted and rolled his eyes. "Oh, that was just Isuzu Sohma. Ignore her. She's terribly rude and insubordinate." He sighed. "Alas, I am forced to interact with her quite regularly."

"Isuzu Sohma?" Tohru's eyes widened in recognition. "Is she-"

"Yes, she's part of the zodiac," Akito said, his voice dull. "Now then-"

"Which animal is she?" Tohru whispered, only to immediately clamp a hand over her mouth. "Oh! I'm so sorry...I interrupted you. Please forgive me. But I'm truly curious-"

"You can earn my forgiveness by shutting your damn mouth. The less you stand here babbling about meaningless things, the sooner we can get to the business at hand."

His choice of phrasing confused Tohru. "Err...the business at hand?" she echoed.

"Yes," Akito snapped. "I told you yesterday that I needed to speak with you privately. Don't you remember?"

At that, Tohru nodded her head up and down. "Yes. Of course I remember. I just…well, I didn't exactly know what you meant by 'business at hand'. Of course, I should've assumed that you were talking about-"

"Shut up. You're doing it again."

Ashamed, Tohru hung her head low. She was being a terrible guest! First she had failed to bring Akito a gift in order to thank him for his hospitality. Then, later, she'd interrupted him while he was speaking, and now, to make matters even worse, she was annoying him!

"I'm sorry, Akito. Truly, I am."

She didn't know why, but she expected him to punish her. To grab her hair again, like he had the last time she'd angered him. Or maybe he would do something worse this time. Maybe he would hit her. Maybe he would do the same thing to her eye that he had to Hatori's. Tohru's breath quickened fearfully at the thought.

 _Please,_ she thought to herself in a silent prayer. _Please, Mom, don't let him hurt me..._

* * *

Akito gaped at Tohru Honda in astonishment.

_What is she doing?_

Did she honestly think that he was going to try to hurt her?

Just as a test, Akito extended one of his hands out toward her. Immediately she took a step back, flinching, and Akito found he couldn't help but smirk at her reaction. He'd known she was afraid of him, but _this?_

 _This is just too perfect,_ he thought. _All too easy._

Akito waited for her to realize that he wasn't going to harm her, but when she still didn't open her eyes, he lunged forward and grabbed her by the wrists, similar to the way he had Isuzu earlier. It was a terrible idea, in hindsight, though at the time Akito found himself hoping that the sudden touch would cause Tohru Honda to momentarily forget her fear and look at him. He was careful not to grip too tight, though it appeared that that small kindness wasn't enough to satisfy the girl. In the next instant she reached out with both arms and shoved him forcefully backward.

"A-Akito," she stammered. "What...what are you-"

But he cut her off before she could continue, taking extra care not to let the surprise he felt at what she'd just done show on his face. "Listen to me, you foolish girl. You can't win."

Tohru blinked several times before finally gazing up at him. She wore an expression that appeared to be a combination of shock, fear, and sadness. It was the exact same way she'd looked at him several days ago, the look that had made Akito falter and loosen his grip on her hair. It wasn't the shock or the fear that had moved him. Those things he was all too used to seeing reflected in the eyes of his zodiac. No, it was the genuine sadness he had seen when she'd gazed up at him.

" _The important thing, Akito,"_ she'd whispered, _"is that right now...you're alive._ "

Akito averted his gaze. He couldn't allow himself to fall for her act again. For surely that was what it was, a ploy to try and get him to believe that she actually cared about him, and it was likely her great hope that, over time, this emotional connection would cause him to open up to her about his joys and sorrows; his walls would come crashing down, bit by bit, piece by piece, and then, before he knew it, she would have him wrapped around her finger, just like she did the rest of the zodiac. Akito almost laughed at the utter simplicity of her plan. Did she really think that was how it was going to be? Did she really think that he would be so easily duped?

"Don't look at me like that!" he snarled. "This is what you do to them, isn't it? You bat your eyes and they fall to their knees, ready to cater to your every whim."

"Akito-"

"Well it might work on them, but you don't fool me! _I'm_ the only one in this family who knows of your conspiracies!"

"Akito, _please_ -"

"And don't think that that won't change! Soon enough they will all know. I will finally reveal to them what you _really_ are..."

Tohru Honda lowered her head. Then, burying her face in her hands, she began to cry. Her tiny body quivered as she sobbed quietly to herself, and Akito was so surprised by this sudden upheaval that he paused, which allowed Tohru the time she needed to find her voice.

"Akito…please. I know you hate me, and I…I still don't understand why, but…please, just let me help! I want to _help_ you!"

Then she sprang forward and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace.


	4. Chapter 4

For a moment, Akito was convinced that there was something the matter with him.

Perhaps Hatori had given him too many pain pills. He wouldn't put it past the dragon to purposely overdose him. After all, when it came down to it, Hatori was still a member of the zodiac; Akito knew full well that each and every one of those miserable animals was secretly praying for his death, and there wasn't a doubt in his mind that Hatori had grown tired of taking care of him over the years. This was probably the dragon's first attempt to try and kill him, to finish him off once and for all so that the zodiac animals could finally have their freedom.

 _I will punish Hatori for his despicable actions later. In the meantime_ _…_

In the meantime, he needed to snap himself out of this reverie. Because there was no way that Tohru Honda had just hugged him. She wouldn't dare.

"I…I'm sorry." Tohru backed away from him, her cheeks flushed with what Akito could only assume was pure and utter humiliation. "I shouldn't have done that. But Akito, I see you living here in this great big house, and I can't help but think that you just seem so...lonely." She raised her head to meet his stare, and Akito found himself momentarily taken aback by how blue her eyes were. Not a cold, icy blue like his, but a deep cerulean blue. It was a warm, comforting color, and though Akito would've never admitted as much aloud, he found it to be rather pleasing to look at.

"I want to help you," she said. "I want to be your friend, if I can-"

At that, Akito hissed, tearing his gaze from her. "Only because you pity me," he grumbled, and Tohru said nothing in reply.

It was during that brief lapse of silence that Akito found himself thinking again of the other day, when he'd allowed himself to entertain the possibility that the girl might actually care for him. He still remembered the moment very clearly. She'd looked up at him with those same sad, tear-filled eyes, and for a second he'd found himself wanting to believe that she was truly the kind, genuine soul that his zodiac assured him she was.

But now he saw what a fool he'd been.

_She had no rebuttal just now, when I accused her of feeling nothing but pity for me. And so that must mean..._

"I don't want your pity," Akito said, "and I most certainly don't want a friendship built on it. Do you understand?"

Tohru bit her lower lip. "I'm not…I mean, I _do_ really want to be your friend, Akito-"

"Silence."

"But I-"

Akito fixed her with a cold stare. "I asked you to come here today for a reason, did I not?"

Tohru bowed her head, finally giving up. "Yes."

"Yes. And you are wasting both of our time by steering this conversation in a direction that it needn't go. Would you not agree with that as well?"

Again, Tohru said nothing, and Akito stood motionless, arms crossed as he regarded her with a look of disgust. "Now then," he said after a beat, "shall we proceed?"

Tohru glanced up at him again, her eyes glowing with sorrow as softly she said, "Yes. I'm sorry, Akito. I don't mean to...ramble. I'll try not to do that anymore." A small smile tugged at her lips, and Akito had but a moment to wonder about it before she said, "It's funny, but do you know what my mom used to say? She said that sometimes-"

"Your mother?"

Tohru stopped, shock-still, clearly surprised by the abruptness of his question. "I...what?"

Akito somehow resisted the urge to snap at her for her lack of eloquence. "Your mother," he repeated calmly. "I believe Shigure told me she died a little over a year ago in an automobile accident. Is that true?"

* * *

Tohru blinked up at the zodiac god in bewilderment. She didn't know what to make of this sudden shift of conversation.

 _Why does he want to know about Mom?_ she wondered. _It's strange that he would even bother to ask about my personal life. I mean, it's been obvious for some time that he doesn't like me very much..._

Tohru sighed. Normally she didn't mind thinking about Kyoko Honda, her mother. If anything, the memory of Kyoko served as a constant reminder to Tohru of how lucky she'd been to have a mother who loved her so much. But for some reason, whenever Tohru was around Akito, the mere mention of her mother made her feel terribly sad. Just last week, when she'd visited Sohma House, she'd burst into tears the moment she had started talking about the accident. Tohru had been rather surprised at herself. Ever since the day her mother died, she had sworn she would be strong, that she would not spend too much time mourning. It was not what her mother would've wanted, after all, and Tohru definitely had to give herself credit; for the past year she had had very few problems staying happy, and there wasn't a doubt in her mind that Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure had more than a little something to do with that. But for some reason, that afternoon with Akito last week had triggered all sorts of emotions within her, including a deep sadness she hadn't thought still existed.

"Miss Tohru Honda?"

Tohru jumped at the sound of Akito's voice. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I was only thinking-"

"Silence. If you say 'I'm sorry' one more time, I swear I'm going to scream." Akito shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Now then, would you be so kind as to answer my question?"

Tohru stared at him blankly. She'd been so lost in her own thoughts, she didn't even remember what it was he'd asked her.

Akito seemed to realize this almost right away. "I _said_ , is it true that your mother died last year in an automobile accident?"

Remembering now, Tohru managed a weak nod. "Oh. Um, yes. She did. She…she was killed."

"How did it happen?"

Tohru swallowed hard. Why was this so difficult? She'd told so many other people about her mother's death without feeling the need to flee the room. "She was…hit by a car. On the way home from work. She was crossing the street, and…"

She stopped, touching her cheeks as suddenly she realized that she was crying again. _What's happening to me, Mom?_ _I_ _know you wouldn't want this. You would want me to be happy. And I_ am, _truthfully_. _It's just that,_ _w_ _henever Akito is around...I feel like I lose some of that happiness. Like he takes it from me. But that's ridiculous, right?_ She gave a slight shake of her head, as though berating herself for even having such a silly thought. _No. There's_ _no way that one person could be capable of doing something like that. You always used to tell me that everyone has good qualities, even the most seemingly monstrous people..._

She looked up at the pale, black-haired man before her, her mind reeling with questions. Could her mother have been wrong? Was it possible for a person to be so dark and so terrible that there was nothing redeemable about them whatsoever? Tohru didn't even want to consider that. But the more time she spent around Akito, the more she found that she had to.

_What's happening to me, Mom? I don't know what to think anymore. I don't know..._

* * *

Akito was pleased with the way that his visit with Tohru Honda was progressing.

This was exactly what he had been hoping for—to find the girl's greatest weakness and use it against her. To torment her with it.

 _I could tell by the way she spoke last week that her mother's death still grieves her deeply._ _Perhaps if I press enough,_ _s_ _he'll get angry and start shouting at me. Then her true colors will have been revealed at last._

"Did you get to see her before she died?" he asked. "That is, was she alive long enough for you to speak with her one last time?"

Tohru's bottom lip shook. She was clearly fighting as hard as she could to hold back more tears.

"No," she whispered. "They let me out of school, and I ran to the hospital, but by the time I got there…it was too late. She was already gone." She turned her head to one side, sniffling. "Forgive me, Akito. I shouldn't be crying like this. Mom wouldn't want me to be sad, but it's just that...she was my best friend. She meant so much to me, and sometimes...sometimes I still don't know what I'm going to do without her."

The zodiac god couldn't bring himself to say anything right away. The two of them stood together in silence for several minutes, and when Tohru Honda finally dared turn her face up on him again...

Akito found himself struck by the intensity of her gaze, and it almost felt like something was breaking within himself as she murmured, "Has that ever happened to you? Have you...have you ever lost someone precious to you? Someone you love?"

Akito had to fight in order to keep himself from grimacing. _She isn't putting on an act,_ he realized. _This emotion is real. She looks like I did all those years ago, after Akira died. I still remember the sorrow, the almost stabbing pain I felt in my chest every time I reminded myself that I was never going to see him or hear his voice ever again..._

…Wait a minute. What the _hell_?

Akito blinked, his eyes flashing with rage at the realization that this was Hatori's fault. It _must_ be. Those pain pills he'd given him earlier—yes, now that Akito thought about it, the quantity had been more than what was likely to be considered a normal dosage. Perhaps it didn't explain why Tohru Honda had hugged him earlier, nor did it explain why there'd been a small part of Akito that had wanted to return her embrace. But, it _could_ explain why he suddenly found himself feeling so sentimental and so...dare he think it? _Compassionate._

"No," he told her. "No, I have never experienced anything like that."

"Really?" Tohru used the sleeve of her school uniform to wipe the remaining moisture from her cheeks. "Then you're lucky, Akito. You are very, very lucky."

"Lucky?" Akito snorted. "If you want to call it that."

"I...what do you mean?"

"I mean that I've never loved anyone," he told her. "Not once in all my life."

That, of course, was an outright lie. Akito had most certainly loved his father during the short time he'd known him, and though he didn't want to admit it, he'd also grown to care for Hatori very much over the years. Other than those few people, though, Akito could honestly say that he had never felt any kind of deep care or concern for anyone. Oh, he _told_ his zodiac he loved them, but that was yet another lie. They all knew it, too. Akito pretended to care for them in the same way that they pretended to care for him, though the truth of the matter was that no real bond existed between them. And Akito resented them for this fact.

But that wasn't the only reason why he was cruel to them. It wasn't even the primary one. Deep down, the truth was that the feelings of hatred Akito harbored toward his family members didn't have anything to do with who they were as individuals. No, his scorn was nothing more than an expression of the anger he felt toward each and every single one of them, not for who they were, but for _what_ they were.

It was because of them that he had to suffer. It was because of _them_ that he couldn't live a normal life. If they simply didn't exist, he wouldn't be forced to endure this wretched state of being. He wouldn't be "god" of the Chinese zodiac. He wouldn't be weak, bitter, cruel, or defenseless, and he probably wouldn't hate the girl standing in front of him right now.

"That's…that's terrible," Tohru said. "To never love anyone…I can't imagine how horrible that would be." Her eyes locked with his again, and suddenly Akito felt like lunging forward and grabbing her by the hair, the way he had the last time she'd been at Sohma House.

 _Did I not already make it perfectly clear that I don't want pity?_ _Perhaps I need to teach her another lesson-_

"I'm sure that that isn't true," she said suddenly. "Akito, I'm sure…I'm sure you've loved _someone_. At least once before."

Akito shut his eyes, inhaling deeply. He no longer liked the way this conversation was going. It was making him feel things he didn't want to feel, making him think about things that he would much rather not think about.

 _Am I a monster_? _To summon her here only to torment her..._

"Get out of my house," he said softly. "I don't want to look at you a moment longer."

Tohru was clearly taken aback by the abrupt dismissal. "Oh, but-"

"I said _go."_

When she still didn't move, Akito threw his head back and shouted, "Leave!"

Startled, Tohru straightened. "Yes. Um...of course!" She bowed awkwardly. "Thank you, Akito! I will leave now."

And with that she turned and ran from the room, not even bothering to close the door behind her as she went.

When he was sure she was gone, Akito whirled around and swung one of his fists at the wall. He ended up hitting harder than he'd intended. Immediately he pulled his hand back, crying out in agony. Then he did the very next best thing he could think to do.

"Hatori!"

* * *

"Damn it," Kyo growled. "SHUT THE HELL UP!"

In response, Shigure grinned, feeling thoroughly pleased with himself for finally having succeeded in his attempts to rile the cat. "Yelling will get you nowhere!" he said, wagging a finger back and forth. "Besides, I suppose you're right," he relented. "You _are_ a much better cook than Yuki."

Over in the corner of the room, Yuki sat with one of his school books propped open in his lap. "Yeah, let's put _you_ in the kitchen for a while and see how well you do," he murmured.

"But while we're on the subject of cooking," Shigure continued, "do either of you know what time Tohru is going to be home? I'd like to know whether or not I need to order takeout."

Yuki looked up from his book in order to exchange a short glance with Kyo. "No, actually, she didn't tell me what time she would be back. Did she tell you, Kyo?"

"Pfft, no," Kyo said. "She ran outta school so fast I didn't get the chance to ask her. I don't know what it was, but somethin' weird was going on with her today. She seemed like…I don't know, like-"

"Not herself," Yuki finished. "Yes, I noticed it too. She seemed rather restless all day."

Shigure looked thoughtful. "Hmm. You know, it seems our Tohru might be in need of some emotional support. And whatever is bothering her, one of you is going to have to sit down and talk to her about it." He glanced from Yuki to Kyo. "And which one of you _fine_ young gentlemen is it going to be?"

Kyo stood, his eyes narrowed with purpose as he said, "I was just about to head down there to pick her up right now, or at least wait outside until she gets out."

"It's only 6:00," Shigure said, tapping an imaginary watch on his wrist. "You'll be waiting an awfully long time if she's working as late as she does on a typical evening."

"Yeah, well then I'll go across the street and kill time at a store or somethin'," Kyo snapped. "Now I'm picking her up, and that's final."

"Oh, _so_ defensive," Shigure teased. "Are you perhaps afraid that Yuki might try to step in and argue that _he_ wants to pick her up instead?"

"There's no argument necessary," Yuki said, also standing. "Because I'm going too. And _that's_ final."

Kyo glared at Yuki, who in turn, glared back. This went on for several moments, long enough that Shigure began to fear it would turn into a fistfight. He was about to intercede, but before he could, the telephone rang.

In an instant, both Kyo and Yuki turned away from each other and looked right at Shigure.

"What? You want _me_ to get it?" Shigure laughed, pointing innocently at himself. When they both just kept glaring, he sighed. "All right, all right. Just don't smash the house while I'm gone, okay?"

He hurried into the hallway then, giggling to himself all the while. It had been apparent for quite some time that both Yuki and Kyo had serious crushes on Tohru. As funny as it was to watch them glower at each other knowingly all the time, Shigure knew that in the long run all the situation did was create a greater rift between them.

He sighed as he picked up the phone. Were things ever going to change in their family?

"Hellooo," he sang. "Sohma residence, Shigure speaking."

"It's me," a deep voice rumbled.

Instantly, Shigure's face lit up. "HARI! Oh Hari, I was hoping you would call soon! Did you miss me? I was beginning to worry that you'd forgotten-"

"Shigure, please." Hatori was clearly not in the mood for Shigure's jokes and silliness. "I would like to stay on to talk, but I can't. I'm very busy this time of year, as you well know."

Shigure sighed, feeling somewhat disappointed, though he knew that this could only mean there was trouble. "All right, Hari," he said, his tone now very serious. "What's going on? Is Akito all right?"

"It's difficult to say," Hatori replied. "He appears to be fine physically, yet I can't help but think that something must have happened to upset him this afternoon."

Shigure frowned. "And what led you to that conclusion?"

"He seems very depressed, and for some reason that he is wholly unwilling to explain, he keeps insisting that both Yuki and Kyo come to the Main House to visit him tomorrow afternoon. Both of them."

Shigure raised his eyebrows in suspicion. "He included Kyo?"

"Yes. He said that he wants to speak with them both as soon as possible."


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, Kyo-"

"WHAT, DAMN IT?"

The orange-haired boy was sitting outside school with his back against the wall, nose buried in a book. "Can't you see I'm trying to concentrate?" he grumbled, a feeble attempt at explaining his sudden, uncontrolled outburst.

Hatsuharu Sohma, his cousin, breathed a small sigh of exasperation. "I was just going to ask you where Yuki went," he explained calmly. "I need to talk to him. He's probably in a student council meeting, but-"

"Why the hell would _I_ know where that damn rat is?"

Haru scowled and crossed his arms across his chest. "Would you cut it out already? We both know you're just mad because Yuki beat you to school this morning."

"He didn't beat me, damn it, it was a tie!"

Just then, Momiji Sohma, their other younger cousin, came dancing around the corner to join them, stopping only when he had reached Haru's side. "Oh come on, Kyo," he said with a wink. "Yuki beat you fair and square!"

"You know what? You'd better shut your face, you damn kid! Hear me?"

Haru rolled his eyes, finally having enough. "All right, Kyo, we get it. The point is that I really need to talk to Yuki. It's kind of an emergency."

Kyo looked up. Already the anger had steadily begun to leave his face. "Emergency?" he frowned. "What kind of an emergency?"

"Yeah," Momiji piped, his brown eyes gleaming with interest. "What's goin' on, Haru?"

Haru shook his head. "It's nothing. I mean it is, but...I'd really rather not say much right now."

There was a long, drawn out pause.

"Oh come on," Kyo finally said, casting Momiji a worried side-glance. "Just tell us. Not like anything ever stays secret long in this family, anyway."

Haru turned his back to Kyo and Momiji for a moment, considering. Would Rin care if he told them about what happened at Sohma House yesterday? Probably. But Haru knew that even if she did get upset, she would come to forgive him eventually. Rin was stubborn, and once you got on her bad side…well, good luck ever digging yourself out of _t_ _hat_ hole. But Haru was the one person that, no matter what happened, she just couldn't seem to stay mad at. She loved him too much. Haru smiled to himself. _Almost as much as I love her_.

"It's about Isuzu, isn't it?" Kyo asked before Haru could say anything. "She havin' problems with depression again?"

"Rin?" Momiji's childlike face filled with concern. "Oh, no! Is she okay? She's not hospitalized again, is she?"

Haru blinked, surprised by both of their reactions. "Uh, yeah. I mean, no. Rin's fine. This isn't even about her, really. It mainly has to do with Tohru."

At the mention of Tohru, Kyo jumped to his feet. "The hell do you mean?" he demanded. "What's Tohru got to do with-"

"Calm down, Kyo, it's all right," Haru said. "Rin's just worried about Tohru. That's all. And I need to talk to Yuki about it, so if you don't mind-"

"Worried?" Momiji cried. "Tohru's not in any trouble, is she?"

"Shut the hell up, Momiji," Kyo snapped. He turned back toward Haru then, eyes wide. He looked like a cat ready to pounce. "Why is Rin worried about Tohru? And why were you gonna talk to that damn rat about it and not me? I oughta beat your ass!"

Haru was really getting fed up with Kyo. Honestly, did he have to be so abrasive all the time? He supposed it must be in his nature. "I was going to talk to you later, too," he said. "It's something you should both hear, now that I think about it."

"Yeah? Well then out with it already!"

But Haru remained silent, still not sure how to answer. Or rather, _if_ he should answer, because of how heated Kyo was getting.

"HARU!" The cat was growing more and more impatient by the minute.

Haru sighed again. He wasn't happy, but in order to prevent Kyo from losing his temper, he decided to proceed.

"Rin says…well, she says she saw Tohru at Sohma House yesterday…"

* * *

"I'm dying!" Akito wailed. "HATORI! Aren't you listening? I said I'm _dying_! I command you to do something about it this instant!"

The zodiac god was bordering on hysterics, and the dragon watched on all the while, secretly wishing he could roll his eyes. "You aren't dying, Akito," he said, deadpan. "It's only a headache. I'll give you some pain medicine, and soon enough, everything will be-"

"No, everything will _not_ be all right," Akito insisted. "My head is going to explode at any moment! If I die now, you're going to regret not doing anything to try and save me for the rest of your life." He cried out in pain, pressing his hands to both sides of his head as he screamed, "MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT-"

Hatori grabbed one of Akito's hands and dropped three white pills into his palm. "Here. Take these and give it a little time. It's going to be all right. Please, just trust me."

Breathing heavily, Akito looked back and forth from Hatori to the pills in his hand. "These won't help," he muttered.

Hatori glared pointedly at the zodiac god. "Then what will, Akito? What is it that you want me to do?"

But Akito shook his head, closing the pills tightly in his fist so that he crushed them. "You know full well that there is nothing in this entire world that can help me now. Nothing."

Then at last he fell silent, choosing simply to stare off into space. His eyes drifted toward the window, where a pair of white finches had come to rest on one of the many bird feeders that the zodiac god kept stationed on the porch outside his bedroom. This went on for so long that Hatori moved to get him more pills to replace the ones he'd just destroyed. But before he could exit the room, Akito spoke.

"I suppose...there is _one_ thing that might help."

His voice sliced through the air like a knife, and Hatori froze, instantly on high alert.

"Oh? And what might that be?"

Akito scoffed at the question. "I asked you yesterday to call Shigure and inform him that I wish to see Yuki and Kyo. But you did not fulfill that simple request for me, now did you?"

Hatori sighed then, shaking his head. Of course. Akito had not yet received an audience with Yuki and Kyo. The dragon mentally berated himself for being so absentminded. He should've known that this sudden "headache" was nothing more than another one of the childish tantrums that the zodiac god often threw when he did not get his way.

"Actually," he said, "I did call Shigure-"

" _And_?"

"-and he said he would rather that Yuki and Kyo not return to Sohma House anytime soon. I don't believe he even informed them of your request. However," he continued before the zodiac god could express his displeasure, "Hatsuharu called me just a few minutes ago. He said he spoke to Yuki and Kyo at school this afternoon. According to him, they are both more than willing to pay you a visit. I was going to tell you this when I came in, but-"

"So they _are_ coming, then?"

The doctor nodded. "From what I understand, yes. They should be here within the hour."

A tiny smirk tugged at Akito's lips as he said, "Excellent."

Hatori watched Akito warily. To say that the zodiac god was behaving strangely would've been a massive understatement. All day he had been complaining of a headache, and while it was now more than apparent that that had only been an act, Hatori couldn't help but feel that the young man was planning something nefarious.

_Why does he want Yuki and Kyo here so badly?_

The doctor cleared his throat. "Akito," he began, "this situation concerns me-"

But before he could say anything else, there was a knock on the bedroom door.

Akito whirled then, his eyes wide with anticipation. "Is it them?"

"No," Hatori said. "They couldn't be here already."

Akito hissed. "If it's one of the maids, tell her I said to take that vile tea and shove it up her-"

"I will tell her to come back later," Hatori swiftly cut him off. Some of Akito's comments were simply too distasteful for the doctor to allow him to say aloud, even behind closed doors.

"Isuzu?"

He was more than surprised to see the tall, black-haired girl scowling at him in the bedroom doorway. She was wearing a long black dress; the neckline was extremely low-cut, exposing _a lot_ of her skin…

Hatori blinked. He would never admit it, but he had always thought that Isuzu was very beautiful.

 _As I'm sure many other men do_ , he thought hastily in an attempt to make himself feel better. Still, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the shameful thought. 

"Is Akito in there?" the girl demanded, pointing straight ahead.

In response, Hatori gave an affirmative nod. "Yes, but you can't see him today-"

Isuzu shoved right past him as she fearlessly made her way toward Akito. 

"Rin," Hatori tried to stop her. "I don't think-"

But it was too late. Akito had already seen her.

"Back again, I see." He spoke in a soft, casual voice, though Hatori recognized this for the deception that it was.

"I must say you look rather exceptional today in that provocative dress," the zodiac god remarked. "Who gave it to you? Your parents?" He stopped then, feigning a look of surprise. "Oh! I'm sorry...I'd quite forgotten. You don't have a family anymore, now do you?"

There was a flash of pain in Isuzu's eyes, and Hatori immediately jumped to her defense. Because that comment was cruel, even for Akito.

"Akito, please." He reminded himself to keep calm, much as a part of him didn't want to in that moment. "Don't be rude to Isuzu."

But Akito just chuckled. "And why not? She has already shown _me_ a great deal of rudeness by bursting in here without appointment." He glared at Isuzu. " _For the_ _second time this week._ "

"I don't care," the girl snapped. "You're up to something again! I _know_ you are."

Akito waved a hand, as he so often did as a means of dismissing people. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I have no use for you at the moment. Hatori, get her out of my sight."

"You invited the cat here!" Isuzu fumed. " _Why?_ You hate him! There must be some sneaky reason behind it, you conniving little-"

All Akito had to do was take three steps forward, and in a single movement, so quick that Hatori had not even anticipated it, he slapped Isuzu straight across the face.

"AKITO! STOP!" Hatori shouted before rushing toward Isuzu, taking her face in his hands. He turned her head to one side so that he could see where Akito had struck her. Sure enough, there was a faint red mark that had already begun to form across her left cheek. Hatori inhaled sharply. It was at times like this that he wanted nothing more than to grab Akito by the neck and throttle him.

Much as he might want to, though, he knew that he never could.

"This needs ice," he said to Isuzu. The girl gritted her teeth, clearly not caring for the suggestion.

"Don't touch me," she mumbled before halfheartedly pushing him away from her. "I can take care of myself."

"That may very well be," Hatori said, "but I'm still going to fetch you some ice so that it doesn't swell-"

"Oh, of course, see to _her_ ailments," Akito spat. "Meanwhile, no one ever seems to care what I'm feeling, or take _my_ pain into serious consideration!"

He put his hands to both sides of his head again, just like he had earlier. The "headache" had apparently returned.

"Hatori, are you not listening to me? My head is _throbbing_! Go find a solution this instant or I shall-"

But before he could finish his threat, the door burst open.

"All right, Akito. What is it that you want?"

* * *

Yuki stepped over the threshold to Akito's bedchamber. He was still in his school uniform, though his body language betrayed nothing but hostility as he fixed the zodiac god with a pointed glare.

"Yuki?" Isuzu cried, and for a moment, everyone in the room turned to stare at her.

"Rin?" The rage promptly left Yuki's eyes. He seemed just as surprised to see the horse as she was to see him. "What are you doing at Sohma House?" he asked her. "Haru wouldn't be happy if he knew you came here again-"

But Isuzu cut him off with a shout. "I don't care! Haru doesn't control what I…" She trailed off, her eyes narrowing at the implication of his words. "Wait a second. What do you mean _again_? How do you know that I-"

"Haru told me everything," Yuki replied softly. "He said you came here yesterday to talk to Akito. To try to protect Miss Honda."

Hatori jerked his head in Akito's direction. "Yesterday? Miss Honda was _here_? At Sohma House?"

Yuki nodded sadly. "Yes. And I don't understand it. Why didn't she tell any of us? She didn't tell me, Kyo, or even Shigure what her plans were. She lied and said that she had to work." His gaze dropped to the floor. He looked truly hurt. "I just don't understand. It's so unlike her to lie about anything." He glanced at Hatori. "And the fact that you didn't even know she was here worries me even more. Why would she-"

"Because I told her to."

* * *

Despite the fact that everyone was looking at him, the zodiac god didn't even bother trying to conceal his triumphant grin. And why would he? This was the most fun he'd had in weeks!

Yuki's voice was the first to break the silence. "What?" He sounded horrified.

But Akito just laughed. _Things will become even more interesting once Kyo gets here,_ he thought, casting the doorway a short, expectant glance. What the hell was taking that stupid cat so long?

"Wouldn't you like to know, my dear Yuki?" Akito said, his eyes glimmering menacingly as he turned to face the rat. "My, my, what do we have here? Your beloved Tohru Honda has deceived you!"

Now Yuki looked furious. "I'm not here to play games, Akito. Just tell me why Miss Honda was here yesterday!"

"Yes, Akito." Hatori spoke in a tone that somehow sounded even more serious than normal. "Why _was_ she here? And why was I not informed when she arrived?"

Akito glanced around the room. Hatori was watching him coolly, whereas both Yuki and Isuzu made no secret of the fact that they wanted nothing more than to rip his throat out right then and there. Akito lips quirked into a smug expression. _I'd like to see them try._

"He thinks this is funny," Isuzu said suddenly. "He finds _amusement_ in our turmoil! He's the worst kind of sadist. Why am I the only one in this family who seems to be willing to stand up to him? Why-"

"Isuzu." Hatori put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her.

"Yuki's right. You're just playing games!" she shrieked, elbowing Hatori off of her. "That girl has done nothing to you, and yet you summoned her here yesterday just so you could torment her! Do you feel no shame? Do you honestly not have any-"

It was too much for Akito. Isuzu's insolence, the cat's tardiness, the fact that even Hatori, his most dutiful servant, was now turning against him...

Akito stared at the clock on his bedside table, trying to catch a glimpse of the time, but by then he found that his senses had begun to dull, a phenomenon he often experienced when his mind and body were under a great amount of stress. Black spots formed around the edges of his vision, and before long, Isuzu's voice faded out into nothing. For some reason, though, he could still hear the damn clock.

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

Grimacing, Akito covered his ears, trying to block out the sound.

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

But he couldn't. Hard, as he tried, he simply could not keep the noise from seeping through.

Akito crossed the room, and an instant later he found himself picking up the clock from his bedside table. His movements were slow and deliberate, though his mind was empty and void of all thought, as though he was being compelled to carry out these actions by some unknown force. Then, without even so much as blinking, he hurled the loathsome object straight at Isuzu. It missed her by several inches, bits of glass and plastic flying everywhere as it collided with the wall. The ticking stopped, mercifully, and for several seconds Akito could only stand and stare at Isuzu, breathing heavily. The horse stared back at him in shock, and Akito made sure his expression was harsh so as to not clue her in on the fact that, secretly, he was just as surprised as she was.

Because he'd done it again. He'd lost complete control of himself, just like he had with Hatori all those years ago.

Of course, he wasn't going to apologize to Isuzu for what he'd done, yet he couldn't deny that there was a part of him that truly _was_ sorry, just like there was a part of him that he knew would hate himself forever for hurting Hatori.

"All right, Akito, that's enough." Hatori grabbed the zodiac god's arm and began pulling him away from Yuki and Isuzu. Obviously Akito wasn't the only one having flashbacks of that fateful day. "Come to my office and we'll get something to calm you down-"

"You don't understand," Akito snapped. He used all of his strength to pry himself free of the doctor's grip. "None of you understand!" he went on, stomping back toward Yuki and Isuzu. "Her weakness…"

"Akito," Hatori yelled, "that is _enough_!"

"Her weakness gives me strength!"

* * *

Three pairs of eyes gaped dumbly at the zodiac god. None of them knew what to say. Even Hatori was rendered speechless, and could do nothing but stand with Yuki and Isuzu as he waited for Akito to elaborate.

"My hands." The zodiac god held his hands out flat in front of him as he demonstrated to them all his ability to flex his fingers comfortably and with ease. "My arms, my legs…I can feel more strength in them!"

It was then that Hatori finally found his voice. "Your new medicine is more than likely responsible. It has nothing to do with-"

"Silence, Hatori. I _know_ what I'm talking about." Akito's eyes were gleaming with delight. "You saw what I just did, Hatori. I overpowered you! I have never done that before, have I?"

The doctor blinked, considering for a moment. "No, now that you mention it, you haven't," he admitted. "But that doesn't mean-"

"It's that woman, I tell you!" Akito insisted. "When she left yesterday I felt no different, but as the night wore on I gradually began to gain more strength." He sneered. "And each time I thought about the way she looked at me with those eyes…the way she pathetically burst into tears at the mention of her mother…I felt stronger.

"At first I believed as you do now, Hatori; I thought it was simply in my head. But it is now clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am, in fact, stronger than before. I feed on her weakness. It _empowers_ me." He flexed his fingers yet again, staring down at them in wonder all the while, as if it was the most amazing sight he'd ever beheld. "It would appear that Tohru Honda may not be so useless after all."

Hearing that, Yuki took a step backward, aghast. " _That's_ why you wanted me to come here? To inform me that you intend on hurting Miss Honda?" His hands clenched into fists again. "I won't allow it."

"Nor will I," Hatori declared.

Isuzu said nothing, but her scowl made it more than evident that she agreed.

Akito rolled his eyes before abruptly turning his back to them all. "Stupid animals. I'm not going to harm her."

Isuzu bared her teeth. "Then what exactly _are_ you going to do?"

But Akito said nothing. He only continued to saunter away from them in the direction of the door.

"Akito!" Hatori started after him. "Where do you think you're going?"

Still Akito did not reply.

 _What am I going to do, you ask?_ He laughed softly to himself. _Why, I'm going to use her for my own benefits, of course._


	6. Chapter 6

Kyo paced across the rooftop with his hands behind his back. His amber eyes were locked on the sliding double doors that Yuki had walked through thirty-seven minutes ago. Not that Kyo was counting or anything.

 _This can't be good,_ he thought for about the fifth time as he kicked a stray pebble off the roof with his shoe. _I don't know what Akito is up to, but if I find out that he hurt Tohru in any way, he's gonna regret it._

He stopped dead in his tracks when at last he glimpsed movement out of the corner of his eye. His shoulders sagged in disappointment, however, when he realized that it was not Yuki, but a gray squirrel frolicking across one of the compound lawns. Kyo growled in frustration. He hated that he wasn't allowed inside the Main House, and though he was fully aware of the fact that Akito's invitation had been extended to include him this time, in the end, Kyo had decided it was best he stay outside. For centuries the cat had been forbidden to enter the zodiac god's dwelling place, and it was for this reason that Kyo had found himself doubting the sincerity of Akito's offer. "Better safe than sorry," he had grumbled before grudgingly telling Yuki to go on without him. As unhappy as he was with the current situation, though, and as much as he disliked Yuki, Kyo knew that he could count on him to defend Tohru, probably more than he could anyone else in the entire world.

 _That damn rat may be an asshole,_ _but I know he cares about Tohru, and I know he'll get to the bottom of this._

Before he and Yuki had left school that afternoon, Haru had pulled them both aside and told them a horrible secret: Tohru had been summoned to Sohma House by Akito the day before. And what's more, she had actually _gone._ Isuzu had been the one to inform Haru of this, as she had seen Tohru herself when she'd stormed into Akito's chambers to request—or rather, _demand_ —an audience with him. Both Kyo and Yuki had been shocked to hear of this.

 _I knew something was weird when she told us she had to work yesterday_ , Kyo thought, shaking his head. _I shouldn't have just let it drop after that. I should've offered to walk her to work. Then she would've had to admit where she was really going, and then maybe none of this would've happened._

Kyo looked at his watch again. Yet another five minutes had passed. He groaned. He couldn't take this anymore. He had to know what was going on. _Now_.

Before he could descend from his perch up on the roof, however, he heard a shout from somewhere across the compound. Kyo's ears perked instantly at the sound, and with his cat-like hearing he was easily able to identify the owner of the voice.

"Akito, come back here this instant! You're going to overexert yourself."

Kyo arched an eyebrow. It was Hatori, and by the sounds of it, the dragon was nearly out of breath himself.

"This may be all fun and games to you right now," he was saying, "but I assure you that you won't be so amused later when-"

"Oh just let him go already." That voice was different. Sharp and abrasive, yet unmistakably female.

_Isuzu? What the hell is she doing here?_

"If he overexerts himself and dies of a heat stroke then he has no one to blame but himself, as far as I'm concerned."

Hatori was clearly scandalized by the horse's remark, though as usual he tried not to allow any emotion into his voice as he replied, "Rin, I don't think that is-"

"Oh come _on_ , Hari, don't act as though you weren't thinking exactly the same thing..."

But Kyo didn't hear any more of what Isuzu had to say after that. He was far too distracted by the figure that had come into view on the path that was directly below the building he was standing on. He frowned as he took in the newcomer's features. It was a man in a white kimono. He had dark hair and very pale skin, and though he ran somewhat clumsily, Kyo found he couldn't help but admire his speed.

 _Is that...?_ Kyo tensed. _No. There's no way in hell that that's him._

But it was _._ The moment Kyo had confirmed as much he leaped from the roof, landing just a few feet in front of the retreating man, blocking his path.

* * *

The heat was nearly killing Akito, but he forced himself to carry on. He would keep running until his legs gave out, if he had to. Because there was no way he was going to let those filthy animals catch up to him. Not now. Not when he'd managed to make it so far.

"Akito!" Distantly, he could hear Hatori and Yuki calling after him. Isuzu, however, seemed to have suddenly disappeared. Either she'd decided pursuing him wasn't worth the effort, or Hatori had wisely advised her to remove herself from the situation before she got hurt again. Likely the latter.

"Akito," Hatori shouted. "Stop right where you are!"

But Akito just turned and sneered at him and Yuki over one shoulder.

Fools. Who did they think they were dealing with? He was God— _their_ god—and that meant that his word would always be the last. Surely deep down they were all keenly aware of this fact. Surely they all knew that it didn't matter what _they_ wanted. Regardless of their hearts' deepest desires, in the end, the curse would always win out, forcing them to drop to their knees and obey _him_. And that, Akito knew, was why they hated him so. It was why they were determined to finish him off and get him out of the way for good. So that they could have control of their lives. So that they could be _free_. Akito growled. Ungrateful animals. That's what they were. He was beginning to imagine a variety of ways in which he could administer unique and fitting punishments for each of them when, suddenly, Kyo appeared in front of him.

Akito came to an instant halt, surprised by the movement, though his startled expression became a smirk the moment he recognized the cat. _Perfect,_ he thought. _Just the monster I was hoping to see._

"Hello, Kyo." Akito offered a slight dip of his head in acknowledgment. He was breathing heavily from all the running he'd just done, and though he could feel his body trying to fold inward on itself, he somehow managed to fight the fatigue and hold his ground. Because it was crucial that he have this conversation with the cat. Besides, he wasn't about to give Kyo or any of the others the satisfaction of seeing him sprawled on the ground unconscious—or worse, dead.

Kyo glowered back at Akito. He did not return the greeting. "You can stick your pleasantries up your ass, Akito. I know what you've been up to!"

"Oh, really?" Akito chuckled softly. "Well then by all means, do go on. You have me thoroughly engaged."

At that, Kyo hissed. "Cut the crap! Haru told me everything. I know you invited Tohru here yesterday."

"And? Am I not allowed to have guests in my own home?"

Kyo went completely still then, his eyes twitching furiously. He looked like he was ready to burst, and this amused Akito.

"Are you serious?" the cat yelled, incredulous. "Don't play coy...you _hate_ Tohru! I know that, Yuki knows that, everyone in this family knows that!"

Akito did his best to look bored, though he supposed anyone with half a brain would've been able to see that he was enjoying himself. "What you say is true," he allowed. "But I still don't see your point. Tohru Honda and I had a lovely chat yesterday. In fact, I was just telling Hatori and Yuki," he glanced behind his back at the two men in question, both of which were now well within earshot, "that I believe she will prove herself useful to me after all."

Kyo's eyes flashed then as he fixed Akito with a look of pure, unadulterated rage. " _Useful_? The hell is that supposed to mean?" When Akito did not reply, Kyo quickly closed the space between them, grabbing Akito by the front of his kimono. The zodiac god yelped in surprise. He was still weakened from all the running he'd just done, and as a result he fell easily into Kyo's grasp, his knees buckling as the cat yanked him forward so that their faces were only inches apart. Akito mentally cursed himself for being so frail. If he were a man of ordinary strength, he wouldn't be at Kyo's mercy, arms flailing as the orange-haired boy glared hatefully into his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Akito demanded. He made a feeble attempt at clawing Kyo's arms. "Unhand me at once!"

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"

Akito's eyes widened at the sheer volume of Kyo's voice. It had been some time since anyone had dared yell at him so loudly. The sound was jarring to Akito's sensitive ears, and he found himself far too frazzled to answer, though Kyo took his silence for obstinance.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO TOHRU? ANSWER ME!" He shook Akito so violently that the zodiac god's vision started to blur.

"Kyo!" Hatori bellowed. "Stop!"

Footfalls sounded from behind. Hatori and Yuki had caught up to them now, and Akito found himself relaxing somewhat as Hatori released him from Kyo's vise-grip. The dragon shoved the orange-haired boy forcefully out of the way, and Yuki trailed behind them. He muttered something to Kyo, and the cat immediately bristled in defense, snapping back at the rat, and before long the three men had erupted into shouts, though Akito was too overcome by relief to register what they were saying. His ears were ringing, probably from all of Kyo's yelling, and his head felt like it was spinning out of control, to the point where he was afraid he might fall over.

Akito pressed two fingers to the bridge of his nose as he took in long, deep breaths. He had always known the cat was a monster, but never in all his life had Akito imagined that he would try to cause him serious harm. _That boy is a menace to all of society and must be dealt with accordingly..._

But Hatori interrupted Akito's thoughts by taking one of his wrists, checking his pulse. As he did, Akito shot him what he hoped was a grateful look. _Perhaps,_ he thought, _I am too hard on Hatori sometimes._ He was the only one of the zodiac members who had consistently shown Akito loyalty, after all, and surely the doctor's acts of service were enough to make him worthy of at least some small recognition.

As Akito's vision began to clear and his ears ceased ringing, he was gradually brought back to the present moment, where Hatori and Kyo were now arguing heatedly back and forth.

"...could have killed him."

"Oh, come on. I wasn't gonna kill him!"

"You clearly don't know your own strength, Kyo."

" _You_ clearly don't understand that I wasn't gonna hurt him! What kind of person do you think I am?"

Yuki's smooth, yet deliberate voice shot back a bitter reply: "Yes, Hatori, I don't think you need to worry about Kyo hurting Akito―or anyone, for that matter. I've seen him fight, and he couldn't land a decent punch to save his life."

"YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU'VE GOT SOME REAL NERVE TALKING TO ME LIKE THAT, ASSHOLE-"

"Shut up."

The three men immediately turned their heads toward Akito. They looked surprised that he had intervened―that he had even spoken at all―and Akito made sure to take full advantage of their befuddled state.

"I grow weary of hearing you two bicker," he snapped, glancing back and forth between the two boys, his gaze ultimately landing on Kyo as he continued, "Did I not make the terms of my deal perfectly clear? You have to beat Yuki once―just once―at anything, anything _at all_ , and as a reward I will grant you the gift of ultimate freedom. That means that I will never confine you. _Ever_." He crossed his arms across his chest, smiling cruelly at Kyo's gradually slumping figure. "Tell me, how is that faring for you? Have you managed to defeat him yet?"

Kyo's gaze dropped to the ground. He refused to meet Akito's eyes.

"No," Yuki said when it became apparent that the cat wasn't going to reply. "He hasn't."

"Of course he hasn't," Akito said, wholly unsurprised. "He never will either. It is the destiny of the cat to be a loser. To be an outcast. To be _condemned_." He sneered at Kyo. "It's not Yuki's fault that you have continuously failed to outshine him. Therefore, as far as I can tell, you have no right whatsoever to hold a grudge against him. As the cat, you also have no right to lay a hand on me. The next time you do, I'll make you wish you had never been born. Do you understand?"

Kyo only snorted, though it was obvious by the way he kept his gaze cast downward that he understood perfectly well.

 _Clearly he has forgotten how unforgiving I am,_ Akito thought, lowering himself slightly in an attempt to catch Kyo's eye. _In fact, j_ _ust for that,_ _I_ _will see to it that he is confined regardless of whether or not he beats Yuki. For surely I cannot in good conscience allow a monster like him to-_

Wings fluttered overhead, and at once Akito stopped to glance up as four white finches flew by. The zodiac god's harsh expression softened somewhat as he stared after the creatures. They had likely stopped by his bedroom window in the hopes of acquiring an evening meal. But he had not been there to administer it to them. Akito found himself releasing a silent sigh as the birds disappeared from view.

 _It isn't right,_ he found himself thinking suddenly, _what is done to the cat. It's the way things are, though. It's the way they have always been, and it is how they will continue to be._

A thought entered his mind then, a question that had been nagging him incessantly for the last several days, and though he tried to ignore it, it still came to him in the form of a tiny whisper: " _But why? Why does it have to be like that? Who said_?"

Akito suppressed a snarl. That woman. Even when she was miles from him, her words still somehow managed to linger in his mind. Her thoughts, her ideas...they were like a poison. It was yet another reason why Akito hated her so immensely. In the short time that she had been a part of the Sohma family, she had somehow managed to disrupt the entirety of their way of life, to a point where nearly everyone had begun to question why things were done the way they were within the zodiac. Akito would have never admitted it aloud, but privately even he acknowledged that she had caused him to have doubts about some of the Sohma family traditions, particularly those concerning the cat's confinement.

 _It seems an exceptionally cruel custom_ , he had caught himself thinking once in passing just a few days ago. _After all, I may know better than anyone what it's like to be sentenced to a life in a cage..._

He had quickly shaken the thought, however, revolted by the realization that he was feeling sympathy for the cat. The cat was a monster―Akito had just seen living proof of that fact―and was not in the least bit deserving of sympathy, nor was he in any way suited to live even the faintest imitation of a normal life. None of the zodiac animals were, frankly. But the cat was the most cursed of them all. And why? Because it was the way things were. Because it was the way they had always been.

_"But why? Who said?"_

Again Tohru's words echoed in Akito's head, and while there was a part of the zodiac god that felt compelled to press his hands to his ears in order to block out the sound, he resisted the urge to do so. Because of course such efforts would be pointless. For it was not from the outside from which the voice came. It was from within himself. Akito shook his head, not caring to ponder the implications of this truth as he turned to address the three men standing before him. He would deal with Tohru Honda later. For now, he had to make sure that these wretched animals knew their place.

"Now then," he said, his voice low and calm as he strove to keep any animosity he was still feeling toward them from seeping through. "I suppose we ought to get to the matter at hand, yes? Yuki, Kyo, I invited you both to Sohma House today for a very specific purpose. As you know, yesterday I had Tohru Honda over for a visit."

Both boys tensed at the mention of Tohru's name, though Akito pressed on before either of them could interrupt.

"You can spare me your hollow threats," he told them. "There's no need to worry. I didn't harm your precious Tohru Honda, nor do I intend to. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

"As I am sure Yuki will later relate to you, Kyo, after her visit yesterday I noticed a dramatic change in my capabilities; I now appear stronger than before, and can only conclude that her presence is somehow responsible for this." He glanced at Hatori, who looked like he was about to express his doubts on the matter. "As a result," he resumed before the dragon could object, "I am going to make it a point to invite her to Sohma House more frequently. To put my theory to the test, if you will. These will be friendly visits, of course, and I can assure you both that so long as she is under my roof and in the care of my attendants-"

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that."

All eyes were on Hatori as he swiftly cut Akito off in mid-sentence. Yuki and Kyo looked relieved by his intervention, whereas Akito was putting a great deal of effort into masking the immense irritation he felt toward the doctor. _Who does this half-wit think he is, questioning me? I ought to blind him in his other eye for this act of insubordination._

"Oh?" Akito made certain his voice was calm, though he knew full well that Hatori could sense the storm that was steadily brewing just beneath the surface as he asked, "And why, pray tell, can you not allow it?"

Hatori cleared his throat as he carefully considered his answer. "Because, Akito," he replied, "Miss Honda is very busy. On top of her school work, her job, and her chores at Shigure's house, I am sure she scarcely has the opportunity to partake in activities she enjoys. It would be both rude and inconsiderate to take up any more of what little leisure time she already has, do you not agree?"

Akito could feel himself scowling. Hatori was ever the bullshitter when it came to providing reasons for why the zodiac god should or shouldn't do something. And, annoyingly enough, the doctor also had the uncanny ability to make those reasons sound like _good_ ones.

"In addition to that," the dragon quickly continued, "I still believe you are incorrect when you say that Miss Honda is responsible for these changes you claim to be experiencing. Personally, I am convinced that it is an effect of your new medication. Nevertheless, I am pleased by your progress and want to see you continue improving. As a result, I am going to insist that you not have any visitors for the next several days. Too much excitement can be detrimental to your health, and the last thing I want is for you to fall ill again when we could have easily prevented it. Doesn't that sound reasonable?"

The zodiac god blinked expressionlessly at Hatori. The doctor's ramblings never ceased to exhaust Akito, and this time proved to be no exception. His desire to toy with Yuki and Kyo's emotions had almost completely evaporated by the time Hatori was done speaking. Akito found himself mentally congratulating the doctor on his success, for surely that is precisely what he had been intending to do: to tranquilize him.

 _I will invite Yuki and Kyo back another time,_ he thought as he turned so that his back was facing all three of them, his hands folded neatly beneath the sleeves of his kimono as he mentally prepared his parting words to them. _I will dismiss them for now, but in the meantime,_ _I must think of a way to meet with Tohru Honda without these imbeciles suspecting me of anything._

The thought ended there as Akito was struck with a brilliant idea. His blue eyes flickered deviously. It was a good thing he had his back to Hatori, or else the dragon no doubt would've noticed the change in his mood and immediately become suspicious.

 _That damn doctor is too perceptive for his own good_. _Well, this time I will take extra care to outwit him. For the rest of the day I will go on acting as though nothing is out of the ordinary. I will get plenty of rest this evening, and then, tonight, when the entire house is asleep…_

"Of course you are right, Hatori, as usual," he muttered dully. He took several steps forward, turning to glance back at the doctor when he realized that he wasn't following. "Well? Aren't you coming? I'd like to see about that pain medicine you were going on about earlier."

Hatori seemed taken aback by Akito's sudden compliance.

"Err. Pain medicine? May I ask what for?"

"For my headache, of course," Akito replied smoothly. "You said you had something in mind right before our visitors arrived." He tilted his head at Hatori, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "Or have you forgotten already?"

Hatori's face filled with recognition. "Of course." He nodded. "Yes, I had quite forgotten that you said you had a headache. I will see to fetching you your medicine straight away." He cleared his throat. "Well then, Akito, if that is all the business you had here, then I suppose we ought to take our leave. Yuki. Kyo." He nodded respectfully at the two boys, then turned back toward Akito. "Come to my office. I'll get your medicine, and in the meantime, we can discuss these recent matters."

Akito rolled his eyes and followed Hatori back into the house, though not without turning to cast Yuki and Kyo one last triumphant smirk.

* * *

Tohru was in Shigure's kitchen preparing the evening meal, humming a tune softly to herself. She had just put a pot of water on the stove to boil when Shigure stuck his head in the kitchen. He beamed as he took in the sweet aroma of the seasoned vegetables that were sauteing in a skillet atop one of the other burners. He sighed contentedly.

"Did I ever tell you how pleased I am that someone is using this kitchen again?"

Tohru laughed. Shigure and the others always made it a point to compliment her cooking, and as a result, she usually went out of her way to prepare things she knew they liked so that she could continue to make them happy. Because that was what Tohru Honda did best, after all. She made people happy. Tohru wrinkled her nose. While somewhere deep down she realized that pleasing others was a foolish ambition, when it came to Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure, she knew that her efforts were always appreciated and never taken for granted.

 _I am truly blessed to have found such a wonderful family, Mom,_ she thought. _From the very beginning they did everything they could to make me feel welcome, almost as if I was one of their own blood relatives. Sometimes I'm just so overcome with gratefulness that I can hardly bear it. What did I ever do to deserve such kindness, to be part of a family that is filled with such caring and thoughtful people…_

She paused, doubt creeping into her mind as she realized that that last thought was really only partially true. While the majority of the Sohma's she had met _were_ kind, caring, and thoughtful, she could no longer deny that there was at least _one_ Sohma to whom none of those qualities applied, and that person was Akito. Tohru bit her lip as she used a spatula to stir the sauteing vegetables. _What,_ she wondered, _has happened to Akito in his life that has made him so bitter, angry, and cruel?_ She considered. Perhaps if she suffered from an illness that was as chronic and life-threatening as his, she would feel bitter toward the world, too. She imagined for a moment what it must be like to be Akito. Every day he had to watch young, healthy people his own age go about their daily lives, doing things that he could never hope to do and being things that he could never hope to be. _It must be maddening,_ Tohru thought, _to endure such an existence, to live each day without actually living it._ He was almost, she realized, like a caged bird, watching life pass him by without ever being able to actually partake in any of it. Her heart ached with sympathy for the zodiac god.

 _Oh Mom, no wonder he holds so much resentment toward his family,_ she thought. _They may all be cursed, but none of them are cursed in the same way that he is. Well, none except for Kyo…_

She gasped as suddenly it dawned on her why it was that Akito was especially spiteful toward Kyo.

 _He must see Kyo_ _as his equal! Well, perhaps not so much as his equal, but as someone on similar footing to him. And that, I'm sure, is why he's so cruel to him. It's why he does everything he can to make him feel like an outcast. He's trying to convince himself that someone is worse off than he is. Poor Kyo…_

"Is everything all right, Tohru?"

Tohru jumped, startled. She hadn't realized that Shigure was still standing in the kitchen doorway, watching her. "Oh! Yes, I'm fine. No need to worry." She giggled nervously. "I'm sorry. I was just so deep in thought, I'd forgotten you were still there!"

She put on the brightest smile she could manage, but for once, Shigure did not return it. Instead, he studied her very closely, and for the longest time, he didn't say anything.

 _I_ _t's a good thing I got home before Yuki and Kyo left the house last night,_ she thought. _Because if they'd shown up at my work building, only to find that I wasn't there..._ She almost winced as a new possibility suddenly occurred to her. _I'm pretty sure Yuki and Kyo don't know where I went yesterday, but I wonder...does Shigure know?_ _Oh, I hope not!_ _It would upset him so much if he knew I lied to him. I know he cares about me. Is that what he's thinking right now? It must be. Ugh! How could I be so inconsiderate of his feelings?_

"Tohru," Shigure said at last. "I'm not quite sure how to say this, but...well, I've been a bit concerned about you lately. So have Yuki and Kyo. They said that you've been acting strangely. Is something troubling you? You know that you can always tell me anything."

Tohru's eyes widened in surprise. He was _worried_ about her? It took nearly all of her willpower not to burst into tears of joy. _Oh, Mom. They truly are my family now, aren't they?_

She opened her mouth. She was about to tell Shigure everything that had happened yesterday, but before she could even say one word, the front door burst open. Thundering footsteps immediately followed, accompanied by two loud voices arguing back and forth.

"Let me talk to her!"

"No, _I'm_ the one who ought to speak with her. I know more about the situation than you do."

"Only because you're allowed in that damn house and I'm not!"

"You were allowed in this time. You were just too scared to do it, you coward."

"Why don't you come on over here and say that to my face?!"

Shigure exchanged a knowing look with Tohru before turning to face the two boys who were both stomping determinedly toward the kitchen. "Now, now, let's not lose our heads here," he said, holding his hands out in front of him. "Yuki, Kyo, just what exactly is this-"

"Is she in there?" Kyo demanded, ignoring the dog's attempt at defusing the situation.

Shigure feigned confusion. "Who? You mean Tohru? Why yes, but she's making dinner, and I hardly think that now is the time for-"

Kyo and Yuki both swept right past him and crossed the threshold into the kitchen, where Tohru was still standing at the stove cooking. They were both panting, their hands curled into fists at their sides. They looked like they had ran the entire way home. Tohru blinked back at them in bewilderment.

"Err...welcome home," she said quietly, unsure of how to proceed. What was going on? What had they been arguing about? And why were they looking at her with such grave expressions? Her heart sank as instantly she realized that they knew about her visit to Sohma House yesterday. About her lie.

Her head drooped. "Dinner will be ready soon," she said, her voice just barely above a whisper. "You can start setting the table, if you'd like-"

"Miss Honda."

Her head shot up at the sound of Yuki's soft, gentle voice. He met her gaze directly, his eyes holding nothing but genuine kindness and concern. _Could it be that maybe they aren't angry with me after all?_

"Y-yes?"

"I..." Yuki sighed, looking to Kyo for support. " _We_ know what happened yesterday at Sohma House. Between you and Akito."

"Sohma House?" Shigure breathed. "Akito?" He frowned, glancing curiously back and forth between Tohru and the boys. "Tohru? You were at Sohma House yesterday? For what reason?"

"I...I…" Tohru sighed, defeated. There was no reason to hold anything back now. "Akito called a few nights ago and asked for me to come to the Main House. I didn't mean to cause any trouble-"

"Akito called here?" Shigure was shocked. "On this house phone?"

"Yes. He called and asked me to pay him a visit. He made me swear not to tell any of you that I had spoken to him, though, and so...I didn't." She hung her head. "I am so sorry! Really, I didn't mean to worry any of you! It's just that...well, Akito is very important to all of you, and I knew that he might punish me if I disobeyed him, and so I-"

"It's all right," Kyo said as he took Tohru's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Tohru turned her gaze upward, her shame instantly forgotten. Kyo looked concerned, maybe even a little bit angry, but when her blue eyes met his she saw his lips curve into a faint smile. And it was directed only at her. Tohru automatically felt herself beginning to smile back. "It's all right," he said again. "We get it. We're just worried is all."

"And furious," Yuki added. When he noticed Tohru's grim expression he quickly assured her, "Not at you, Miss Honda! At Akito." He turned to Shigure, who was leaning against one of the kitchen counters with a finger pressed to his chin, looking thoughtful. "What a sneaky stunt for him to try and pull behind our backs. What's gotten into him lately? It seems as though ever since last week..."

The rat trailed off, exchanging a look with Kyo, whose face immediately hardened into a scowl. Tohru gave his hand a comforting squeeze. She knew exactly what incident Yuki had been referring to when he said "last week." He had been speaking of the day in which Kyo had revealed to Tohru his true form―the day in which she had learned once and for all why it was that the cat was ostracized from the rest of the family. Out of the corner of her eye, Tohru glanced down at the beaded rosary that Kyo wore around his left wrist.

 _Without these beads,_ she thought, _he takes the form of a monster. A hideous monster―big, brutish, and vile. Even so…_

Tohru was hyper aware of the feeling of Kyo's hand within her own, and she felt herself starting to blush at the realization that they had been standing this way for several minutes. Somehow, though, she couldn't help but think that she was glad that he didn't seem to want to let go any more than she did.

 _Even so,_ she resumed, _I can't bring myself to think of Kyo as a monster. Not at all._

Because he wasn't. While undoubtedly the cat could prove himself to be a real hothead―particularly when he happened to be in the same room as Yuki―Tohru knew that he had reasons for lashing out, and that, in his heart, he was a good person. In fact, Tohru would go as far as to say that Kyo was one of the most good-hearted people she had ever known. Living in the same house as him was a daily testament to this fact, and yes, she had had to warm up to him in the beginning―as he had had to warm up to her―but over time she had come to realize that Kyo was not the angry, loud-mouthed jerk that so many people seemed to believe he was. He was the opposite, actually, and it was this knowledge that had recently made Tohru begin to think that her feelings for him might extend far beyond those of mere friendship.

"Hmm. Yes," Shigure said, abruptly tearing Tohru from her thoughts. "It does seem as though Tohru's acceptance of Kyo's true form has intrigued him. I'm not sure why―at least, not entirely―but from now on, Tohru, you need to be extra careful around Akito. If he ever invites you to Sohma House again, I want you to inform us immediately. And if you happen to run into him elsewhere, do your best to keep your distance. Akito may be weak, but as you have seen he can be rather dangerous when he's upset, and I don't want you to fall victim to another one of his outbursts. Now." He eyed Tohru with scrutiny. "I _am_ rather curious to know why he summoned you to the Main House in the first place. Will you be so kind as to share with us what happened?"

Tohru took a deep breath. All eyes were on her, and her heart pounded wildly with this realization. Being the center of attention always made her feel nervous. Still, despite her discomfort, she promised herself that she was going to tell them everything without holding back. She owed them at least that much, especially after she had lied to them.

 _They're probably thinking the worst happened,_ she thought. _And I should clear that up for them right away, because honestly, it wasn't so bad._ _I mean,_ _Akito could have harmed me, like he did last week...but he didn't. If anything, he was kinder to me this time. Well, maybe not_ _kind,_ she thought when she remembered some of the hateful things he had said to her. _He_ _was certainly much calmer, though. Either way_ _, maybe that will be the last time I have to see him for a while_.

But even Tohru Honda, ever the optimist, knew in her heart that some things were simply too foolish to even hope for.

* * *

Akito crept noiselessly down the deserted hallway.

It was nearly 3 o'clock in the morning, and though he knew that everyone in the house had been asleep for hours he made sure to step as quietly as he could across the hardwood floor. He had even gone as far as to change out of his kimono and into a regular set of street clothes so that he would blend in better with his surroundings―a tight black sweater and a pair of neatly pressed black slacks. Akito nodded approvingly to himself at this decision, finding that the apparel, uncomfortable as it was, concealed him quite well as he stealthily made his way toward Hatori's office.

When at last he had reached his destination he slowly slid the door open, taking extra care not to make any noise as he tip-toed into the room. He shut the door behind him then, and when he turned around he was instantly blinded by a blanket of darkness.

Akito muttered a curse under his breath. _Of course_ Hatori would keep the lights off in his office at night. The dragon wasn't one to do something so impractical as waste electricity. Akito mentally berated himself for his lack of foresight. While it was true that he had stolen Hatori's car before―multiple times, actually―he had never done so in the dead of night.

Akito glanced back at the door, quietly considering his options. Naturally, the simple solution would be to just turn on a lamp, but Hatori's bedroom was adjoined to his office, and Akito knew that it would be far too risky to illuminate even the smallest corner of the room. The doctor was an infuriatingly light sleeper, able to be awoken by even the slightest disturbance. Akito knew as much from experience. The zodiac god suppressed a growl. How was he supposed to find that _stupid_ dragon's car keys in a pitch black room? After much deliberation, Akito decided to simply leave the door on the opposite end of the office slightly ajar, the door leading to the small patio outside. The moonlight creeping in through the crack provided him with just enough light to conduct his search. While it wasn't exactly an ideal solution, Akito supposed that it would have to do.

He began by rummaging through Hatori's desk―quietly, of course, so as to not risk rousing him from his sleep. Just as Akito had suspected, though, he didn't find the keys there. Hatori had hidden them in his desk the last time Akito had stolen the car, under a stack of patient folders in the bottom left drawer. It had been too easy― like child's play―and so naturally Akito was not the least bit surprised to find that the doctor had upped his game.

_If I were a dragon, where would I hide my gold?_

Akito glanced about the room. It was still very dim, to the point where he was only able to make out mostly shapes, but there was one thing that almost instantly caught his eye, and that was the small end table next to Hatori's couch. Sitting atop the table was something Akito had never noticed before―a photograph, it appeared, though of whom or what he could not decipher. The zodiac god edged closer to get a better look. He picked up the frame and studied it, squinting...

...and almost threw it down on the floor when he realized who was pictured in it.

He cringed, gingerly placing the frame back on the table. It had been almost instinctual for him to cast the object aside, to fling it from his sight so that he wouldn't have to see or even think about the petite woman smiling back at him in the photo. Kana. Hatori's first love.

_How dare Hatori spoil this escapade for me by leaving a reminder of that...of that..._

He stopped in mid-thought, eyes narrowing as he was struck with a new idea.

_Could it really be that easy?_

He stepped closer to the couch, lifted one of the seat cushions...and sure enough, there was the gold.

Akito pocketed the jingling keys as quietly as he could manage, casting Hatori's bedroom door a quick look over his shoulder before replacing the cushion. He found that he had to bite his tongue in order to keep from laughing at the dragon's predictability.

 _He was probably sitting right here, gazing at this photo, remembering her. Pathetic man. He likely realized after some time that his keys were still in his pocket, and as an afterthought, stuffed them beneath the cushion, hoping I would never think to look there._ The zodiac god snorted. _He really does think he's so clever, doesn't he?_

A thought prickled at the back of his mind then, a thought that suggested that perhaps it was _his_ fault the poor doctor was left with nothing but memories of his beloved Kana. It was an intrusive thought, one that began to feel more and more like guilt with every passing moment, and so naturally, Akito was quick to shove it aside.

After taking one last look around to make sure he had put everything back where it belonged, Akito exited through the door he had left open, the one leading out onto the patio that overlooked the courtyard. Once outside, he kept to the shadows, trying to make himself as invisible as possible as he crept across the compound lawns. When at last he had reached the small wooden overhang that Hatori's car was parked beneath, he climbed into the driver's seat and buckled his safety belt, all the while doing his best to ignore the bout of dizziness that swept over him immediately upon sitting down. He leaned forward, allowing his forehead to rest against the steering wheel as he waited for the feeling to pass, and when it finally did, he put the key in the ignition and turned it, the engine roaring to life. Akito grinned, relishing the sound. 

_I hope you've slept well tonight, Tohru Honda, because I'm coming for you._


	7. Chapter 7

It was after four in the morning and Tohru still couldn't bring herself to fall asleep. Though her body was exhausted, her mind had been running a million miles a minute all night. In an attempt to calm her thoughts, she rose from where she was sitting on the end of her bed and walked over to the window. She stared outside, hands clasped behind her back, reflecting on all that had happened to her in the last year.

She had been through a lot. There was no denying that, and there were times where she wanted to forget most of it. But whenever she found herself entertaining such thoughts, she was quick to remind herself of what Momiji had once told her.

 _"I want to live my life carrying all of my memories with me,"_ the little rabbit had said. _"Even though some memories are painful right now, I want to keep them. Because as long as I can keep them with me...as long as I can keep holding on to them...someday, I'll be strong enough that those memories don't hurt me anymore. And I'll be glad that I have them then. At least, that's what I believe."_

Tohru had to bite her lip in order to keep from crying at the memory. Momiji was much stronger than he looked. He had chosen to battle through the darkest times of his life, and despite being raised without a mother, he had grown up to be a joyful, fun-loving boy, the boy that Tohru now knew him to be. And she would do the same. No matter what the future held, she swore that she would never allow herself to forget anything that had happened to her. Not even the worst of things.

 _Like losing you, Mom_.

She reached over to where her mother's framed photograph sat on the end table near her bed. She pulled it close to her chest, sighing forlornly. While her mother's death was undoubtedly the most devastating thing to ever happen to her, there was no question that there had been at least one silver lining to it all: the Sohmas. Tohru brightened as she remembered the morning she stumbled onto Yuki and Shigure's front porch. Her lips formed a small smile as she recalled the joy she had felt when, just a few days later, Shigure had invited her to stay and live with him and Yuki and Kyo. The arrangement had been temporary at first, of course; she'd only planned on living with them until the renovations at her grandfather's house were completed. And she _did_ return to her relatives eventually, though after spending several days with them, she'd come to realize how much she missed the Sohmas, who, it turned out, had missed her just as much.

Her mother's beaming face in the photograph seemed to be cheering her on, and Tohru forced herself to grin back. The way she saw it, if she could make it through such tough times and come out feeling as happy and loved as she ever had before in her life, chances were, she could handle anything.

Even the scorn of the head of the Sohma family.

" _Listen to me, you foolish girl. You can't win."_

Tohru winced as she recalled her most recent meeting with the zodiac god. Hard as she tried, she found she simply couldn't push his hate-filled words from her mind.

" _This is what you do to them, isn't it? You bat your little eyes and they fall to their knees, ready to answer your every whim."_

Never in all her life had anyone despised her as much as Akito Sohma, and what bothered her so much about that was the fact that she still didn't understand _why._

" _Soon enough they will all know. I will finally reveal to them what you really are."_

If one thing was clear, though, it was that turning his family members against her had seemed important to Akito from the very beginning. 

_He sees me as a threat._ But then, almost as quickly as she had thought it, Tohru shook her head and retracted the idea. _Oh, but that can't be. He's head of the Sohma family. What sort of threat could I possibly pose to someone as important as him? It's silly to even consider such a thing._

Tohru wrung her hands in frustration. All she wanted was to be a part of the Sohma family; to talk with them, laugh with them, cry with them, have meals with them...to be their _friend_. Even Akito's, if only he would let her. So how was it that he suspected there was something more sinister to her presence in Shigure's house?

_Where does it come from, Mom? He's determined to make everyone see me in a negative light. It's almost like he's afraid of something. But what?_

She had but a moment to wonder before her thoughts were interrupted by the gentle sound of birdsong. She lifted her gaze, brightening when she saw three white finches come to perch just outside her window. They made her think of the birds she'd seen in Akito's rooms back at Sohma House. Slowly, she slid one of the glass panes aside and extended a hand toward the birds, wondering if she could get them to perch on her arm the way she had seen Akito do. Much to her disappointment, though, her tentative offering of friendship was promptly rejected. The birds flew away, and Tohru closed the window shortly after. She was about to make her way back toward the bed when, suddenly, a loud _thud_ reverberated against the glass. She spun just in time to see one of the finches go tumbling to the ground below. 

Tohru didn't hesitate. With a cry, she ran from the room, taking the stairs two at a time as she went.

* * *

Akito pulled up onto Shigure's property, stopping when he was still a good distance from the house. Or rather, he supposed it would be more accurate to refer to the small stretch of land before him as _Sohma_ property. It belonged to the family, after all, and the dog was simply renting out the house. The reminder of Shigure's desertion was enough to stir anger in Akito, though he forced himself to push the thought aside, lest it make him lose focus on his task

After ensuring that the position of his vehicle was secure, Akito made to exit, though he'd barely so much as moved before he was forced to sink back down into the driver's seat. His stomach lurched, and though he hoped the feeling would soon pass, it did not. Groaning, Akito massaged his temples and took in long, deep breaths, trying to ignore the fact that his vision was steadily growing fuzzier.

He should never have come here. It was nearly five o'clock in the morning; everyone in their right mind was asleep, and even if that weren't the case, he was still miles away from Hatori, let alone any kind of decent medical care, should his health take a turn for the worst. He tried to cast the possibility from his mind, though Akito could not deny that the way he was feeling was strikingly reminiscent of several years ago, when he had fallen ill with a stomach flu. The ailment had been so severe that even Hatori had feared for his life. Akito had been only sixteen years old then, and the illness had kept him bedridden for weeks. Or had it been months? It had certainly felt like months.

_Perhaps I'm coming down with another ghastly sickness like that. Either that, or..._

His heart convulsed with dread as another, even less pleasant possibility occurred to him.

" _...won't live past twenty…"_

The words that had haunted him since childhood materialized yet again, and Akito swore under his breath. What if this really wasthe end? What if he died right here, right now? And in the mutt's yard, no less? The thought was enough to make Akito want to scream. He supposed Shigure would laugh if he were to come across his zodiac god lying dead in the front seat of Hatori's car. No, there was no supposition about it; he absolutely would. He would look right into Akito's cold, lifeless eyes and tell him that it served him right. And it wasn't just Shigure —any one who knew Akito would react in exactly the same manner. They would take one look at his withering corpse and feel an instant rush of relief —no, _glee_ —at the sight. Every one, that is, save for Hatori.

And perhaps one other.

_"When you pass away, Akito, we will be very sad. We will be very sad to lose you."_

At once, Akito's vision began to become more clear, more focused. Tohru Honda. Yes, of course. _She_ was the reason he had come here. He had to remember that, to let it be the driving force that would get him through this night. He would find her, speak with her, and no matter how much he might be tempted, he wouldn't allow himself to believe that she truly wished to be his friend. Or that she wished him to live, for that matter. No, she wanted to replace him. _That,_ he reminded himself, _has been her ultimate agenda from the very beginning. She wants to appoint herself as the god of this family._

Despite his miserable state, the zodiac god managed a weak laugh. He knew Hatori didn't believe the girl had played any role in his recent —and, apparently, short-lived —health improvements. But Akito knew better. The logic was flawless, in his mind. Every time he witnessed poor little Tohru Honda suffer, whether it be the result of physical or emotional distress, Akito, in turn, experienced a rush of power and delight. It was the same feeling he got whenever he treated his zodiac with cruelty and disdain. He was aware of how sadistic that sounded, but he wouldn't deny that inflicting pain and discomfort on others had always given him a sense of superiority. In truth, those were the only moments in which he felt like a real god.

Was it a wicked thing, to ceaselessly torment a young orphan girl for his own selfish gain? Yes. But the way Akito saw it, Tohru Honda might very well be the means through which he would finally acquire the strength to overcome his sickly constitution. It was a gamble, to be sure, but it was one he was certainly willing to make.

Ignoring the warnings still going off in his head, Akito threw open the car door and put both his feet on the ground outside. Soft blades of grass rustled beneath his shoes, crickets chirping somewhere in the distance as he sat stock-still, taking in the new sights and sounds. Then, finally, he made a leap of faith and stepped outside. His head felt much lighter than it should, but he did not vomit, much to his relief. The first gust of wind had him automatically crossing his arms over his chest, shivering, and he looked back at the car. He was considering searching the trunk for a jacket or blanket when, suddenly, a movement directed his gaze elsewhere.

Turning toward Shigure's house, Akito was just in time to spot a figure emerge from the doorway. Though he was still a fair distance from the house, he was certain beyond a reasonable doubt that the person in question was female. She had long dark hair that stopped just above her waist, and her movements were clumsy as she rushed along the side of the house, stopping to kneel near a small patch of bushes. Akito watched all the while with narrowed eyes, his health concerns instantly forgone. 

_Well, well, if it isn't Miss Tohru Honda. Up rather early today, aren't we?_ He chuckled conspiratorially to himself. _What secrets are you attempting to conceal from Shigure and the others? I do intend to find you out._

Akito quickened his pace, ignoring the painful protests of his limbs. He stopped to duck behind a tree when he was within a few yards of the house, his eyes never once leaving Tohru Honda's back. _This is it._ _I'm finally going to catch her and expose her for being the deceitful little bitch she is._ He peered around the tree, sneering as he watched Tohru set what appeared to be a small cage down near the bushes.

"...all right...let me help..."

Akito dug his fingernails into the bark of the tree, straining forward, trying to hear what it was she was saying, though he only managed to catch a few words.

"...promise, everything's going to be okay..."

She turned to the side, and Akito caught sight of something in her hands, something that was small and white and... _moving_. He frowned as she gently placed the animal in the cage that was waiting just a few feet away. It took him several moments to realize what was happening, but as soon as he did he abandoned his hiding spot and rushed forward. "What do you think you're doing? Let it out this instant!"

* * *

Tohru jumped, gasping at the sound of a voice behind her.

She spun in a circle, eyes darting all around before finally landing on the speaker. A black-haired man dressed in dark clothing was moving toward her. His apparel enabled him to blend in with the shadows, and Tohru had to admit she likely wouldn't have noticed him. That is, had it not been for his pale white skin that glowed brightly whenever he passed through one of the thin strands of moonlight streaming through the trees above them. 

Tohru found herself automatically backing away from the man. She opened her mouth to scream, though she managed to stifle it when she realized that she recognized him.

 _T_ _hose_ _eyes...I could never forget them, no matter how hard I tried._

"Akito?" 

She blinked to make sure she wasn't mistaken. The man was panting when he finally reached her, and by then there was no question of his identity. He put his hands on his knees, head hung low as he sucked in deep breaths, though he did manage to shoot her a scowl in response to her question, as if to say: _Well, who else would it be?_

"Um." Tohru cast a nervous glance at the birdcage as she tried to think of what to say next. "What are you doing here? I thought-"

"Did you not hear me, you stupid girl?" the zodiac god snapped in between breaths. "I said let it out! A creature like that is not to be locked away for your amusement!"

Tohru turned toward the bird again, her mind still rushing with panic. "W-what? I...oh."

Her eyes softened in understanding. Akito thought she intended to keep the bird for herself. And as a pet, no less.

"I, err...no! You see, I..."

Her voice shook as she tried to think of a way to eloquently explain the situation to the zodiac god. She knew that he thought she was an airhead, and in that moment, she wanted nothing more than to prove him wrong. As usual, however, she appeared unable to make her mouth work with her mind.

"I-I know it isn't! I mean, that's not what I…"

She trailed off again, exasperated with herself. _Why is it so hard for me to effectively convey the things I want to tell people? Oh, Mom, no wonder everyone thinks I'm so silly._

"That's...that's not what I'm doing," she managed at last. "I was only trying to help the bird. He's hurt, and I...well, his friends flew away, and it just didn't seem right to leave him all by himself, you know?"

She stopped when she noticed that Akito was watching her with impatience. "Oh, I forgot. You don't like it when I talk too much, do you?" She heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry. It's just that I know you like birds, and I wanted to make sure-"

"What makes you think I like birds?"

Akito regarded her with a frown. He seemed surprised, if not a little perturbed, by her bluntness, but not angry. Still, Tohru was quick to come to the conclusion that she had offended him somehow.

"Oh, um, forgive me. I didn't mean to be...presumptuous. It's just that, last week, when I came to visit you, I saw that you were holding a bird. You were showing it such kindness, and I...well-"

Akito's next words were bitter, almost venomous. "And you find it utterly unimaginable that someone like me could ever show kindness to anything. Am I correct?"

Tohru's lips parted as she regarded the zodiac god with surprise, her heart at once beginning to flood with hope. _Could it be that you were right, Mom? Could it be that maybe there are redeeming qualities in everyone after all, even in the harshest and most cruel of people?_

"Err...someone like you?" Tohru shook her head, pretending to be confused. "I don't think I understand what you mean."

But Akito wasn't having any of it. "The hell you don't. You can drop the charade. You play the part of a poor orphan girl with no common sense, but I know that you are not so dense as you make yourself out to be."

Tohru grimaced at the implication of his words. She rubbed her arms absentmindedly and averted her gaze, not knowing what to say.

Which was just as well, as it appeared that Akito still wasn't finished. "You're only kind to my zodiac because you want to win them over," he pushed on. "And I shall give credit where it is due; you have been extremely successful in your attempts at doing so. But as I've already told you, you have not won me over, nor will you ever."

For several moments, Tohru remained silent. She knew that Akito was purposely trying to hurt her feelings, and yet, she wouldn't deny that that particular accusation had hit her harder than any other. And so she took a deep breath, willing her voice not to shake when at last she found the courage to respond. "Akito, what you say is...well, it's not entirely untrue."

* * *

Akito gaped at Tohru Honda in disbelief.

Could this be it? Could this be the moment where she finally confessed to being the diabolical little bitch he had always known her to be? He waited for her to elaborate, but when she gave no indication of continuing he bit down hard on his lower lip, suppressing his growing impatience.

_If I yell or show anger she will probably become nervous, and I don't think I can stand to endure any more of her mindless ramblings._

"Go on," he urged in as gentle a tone as he could manage.

Tohru fingered the hem of her nightshirt, looking like she wanted to bolt. "Well," she began at last, "you are right when you say that there is often insincerity in the things that I say and do."

She fell silent again, and Akito had to dig his nails into his palms in order to keep himself from voicing his frustration. He was ready to snap, though before he could even do so much as open his mouth, Tohru Honda resumed her speech.

"The truth is, I don't always _want_ to act as kind and polite as I usually do. If I'm being honest, there are times where I feel things like annoyance and bitterness, even anger. Just the same, there are also times where I want to complain or to say things that just...well, aren't very nice at all. I almost never do, though, and it's because I…because I..."

She shook her head. It was more than apparent that she wished to drop the subject, but Akito wasn't about to let her ruin this glorious moment for him.

"Because you're a manipulative bitch who uses kindness as a tool to win people over?" he suggested with a sneer, though his little jab did not at all create the reaction he had been hoping for. Much to his disappointment, Tohru Honda did not burst into tears and fall to her knees, begging him not to tell any of the others of her deceitful ways. Instead, she turned on him sharply, her cheeks hot with fury as she snapped back, "I'm not-!"

She opened her mouth to say more, but then she seemed to remember herself. With a sigh, she averted her gaze and continued in a much quieter voice. "I'm not...manipulative. And I'm not kind to people because I want to win them over. I'm kind to people because I like them, and I want them to like me back."

Akito tilted his head to one side. "But isn't that the same thing?" he asked. "You have the audacity to claim that wanting to be liked is not the same as wanting to win people over. Let us assume that that makes sense —which, it doesn't, but let's assume for a moment that it does. Tell me: Why do you want to be liked? What does it matter to you?"

Tohru stared down at the little white bird in the cage. She was silent for what felt like an eternity to Akito, but when at last she spoke, her voice was uncharacteristically steady. "My mom always said that it's best to treat other people the way you'd like to be treated."

Akito raised an eyebrow as he carefully studied her face. Her eyes were distant, as though she weren't there with him, but in a moment from long, long ago. Most of the time he found it annoying when Tohru Honda talked about her mother. But other times, her ability to recall her deceased loved one so vividly made him feel jealous. He wished he had such a strong memory of his own father —of what he had looked like, of the things he had done and said. But Akito's memory had proven itself to be rather poor. These days, he found he could hardly even picture Akira's face anymore.

"I want to be treated with kindness and respect," Tohru told him, "and so that is how I've decided I'm going to treat others."

At that, Akito snorted. "So what you're saying is that you treat others well so that you, in turn, will also be treated well?" He shook his head. "Forgive me for saying so, Miss Tohru Honda, but your actions, while disguised as honorable and altruistic, sound incredibly self-serving to me."

Tohru seemed to consider his words. Then, much to Akito's astonishment, she nodded. "Perhaps there is truth to what you say, Akito. But tell me, which is more self-serving: treating others with kindness in the hopes that they will treat you and others the same, or being kind to no one but yourself?"

When Akito didn't, answer Tohru looked up at him. Her eyes bore into his with such an intensity that, for once, Akito found he was the one who wanted to look away.

"I know what you think, Akito. You think I'm trying to take your family from you. You think that that's why I'm kind to them. You think..." Her voice dropped to a low murmur. "You think I'm trying to replace you."

She was absolutely correct, though of course Akito was quick to deny her claim. "I most certainly do _not,"_ he huffed. "Please. As though I could ever feel threatened by _you,_ an average girl who possesses no extraordinary talent, influence, or beauty.

"Don't you remember who I am? I am a _god_ , a god who, by right, is deserving of all the love and praise that his creation has to offer. And yet, for some reason that I cannot begin to fathom, they have chosen to worship _you_ instead. Do you not understand my frustration? Do you not see why it is that I have hated you from almost the very moment I first heard your name?"

He smiled down at the girl's slumped figure, pleased to see that his words were having the effect he intended. "I know you have always wondered why I harbor such a fierce hatred toward you. Well, the answer may, in fact, be far simpler than it appears. I hate you because you have taken from me what is rightfully mine. I hate you because, when I am gone, I know that you will rejoice —you will _rejoice_ , just as my zodiac will-"

"That isn't true." Tohru sniffled, using the back of her arm to wipe her cheeks. She was crying. Akito had not realized as much until now, though in truth, he wasn't surprised. The girl cried at the drop of a hat, after all. He remembered how, yesterday, he had found himself pitying her in some small way when he realized that he'd upset her. But he wasn't going to let himself feel guilty for doing so again. After all, as far as he was concerned, she deserved everything she had coming to her.

"You might hate me," she continued, "but I don't hate you, and when you are gone, I won't rejoice. I will be sad."

Akito covered his ears. He couldn't listen to this anymore. "Shut up! You're lying."

"But...but I'm not!" Tohru cried.

Gritting his teeth, Akito leveled his gaze with hers. "You are!" he insisted. "It's just like you said. You're treating me with kindness because you think that one day I will treat you in a similar fashion. Well, I won't, not _ever_. Do you hear me?"

His voice was steadily rising, and he knew that it scared her. He could tell by the way she was slowly backing away from him. "Akito, stop! Please, you don't know what you're saying!"

But he pressed on, hoping to frighten her further. "On the contrary, Tohru Honda, I know perfectly well what I'm saying. I know who you are and what you intend. You are set on ruining me!"

" _No_ -"

"And I came here tonight to ensure that you know your place within this story. As it turns out, I may have a use for you just yet!"

* * *

It happened in what, to Tohru, felt like the blink of an eye. Akito lunged forward, seemingly with the intent of grabbing her, his hands outstretched in a way that made them look like talons, and she reacted by throwing her own hands out in front of her in a defensive position. But that's when Akito abruptly halted, eyes widening before he doubled over and sank to the ground with a cry of what Tohru could only presume was pain. For several moments, she stood frozen in shock as he crouched in the grass, clutching both sides of his head. _He must be sick! Oh, Mom...I need to help him!_ But how, exactly, was she supposed to do that?

"Akito," she gasped. "What's _happening_?"

In response, the zodiac god moaned miserably, as if to indicate that he'd heard her, and Tohru was quick to realize what it was he could not say. "You need Hatori," she said before turning on her heel, eyes narrowed with a newfound sense of purpose. "I'll go wake Shigure. He can call Hatori, and then-"

" _No."_

The sound was guttural, as though he had struggled a great deal to get that single word out. Tohru opened her mouth to reply, but that's when she felt his cold fingers wrap around one of her ankles. She stared down at him in surprise, and he blinked back at her, breathing heavily. He didn't say a word, though it was more than apparent that he did not wish for her to leave.

She wriggled from his grasp. "But Akito, if I don't get Hatori, who knows what will happen? Please, just wait here and try to remain calm. It will only take a minute for me to-"

_"Stay here."_

Tohru flinched, forcing herself to turn and race back toward the house, ignoring the zodiac god's hysterical shouts behind her all the while.

She had just stepped onto Shigure's porch when the front door flew open. It was Kyo. His amber eyes were wide and alert, and his hair was disheveled. He looked like he had leaped from his bed no more than ten seconds ago. Which, Tohru had to figure, was likely just what he had done.

"The hell is going on?" the cat demanded, his eyes searching Tohru's face worriedly. "I thought I heard somebody screaming."

Tohru nodded her head up and down. "You did. It's Akito. He's here. I don't know how, but I was outside earlier, and at one point I saw him coming up toward the house. We started talking, and things were actually going pretty okay until...until..." She winced, shaking her head. "Oh, it doesn't matter! What's important is that he's sick, and he needs medical attention right away!"

Kyo's eyes widened. " _Akito_? What the..." He swore. "Do _not_ tell me that bastard stole Hatori's car again. If he did, I swear I'm gonna-"

Tohru grabbed his hands, desperation in her voice as she said, " _Please,_ Kyo. I know you're angry, but we have to help him, or else...or else..."

She trailed off, biting her lower lip, and Kyo sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "All right, all right. I get it. It's bad. Come on...let's go in and see if we can get a hold of Hatori, all right?"

Tohru nodded, and they walked into the house together, hand in hand, though for once she found she was far too anxious to give their close proximity much thought. She was far too concerned about Akito to think about anything else.

 _I've never seen him look like that before, so_ _frail and so...vulnerable. Oh Mom, I really hope he'll be okay._


	8. Chapter 8

Arisa Uotani was not one to let life get her down, though she wouldn't hesitate to admit it had taken her the better part of her formative years to reach a point where she could say that.

When Arisa was eight, her mother had left her and her father for another man. Not long afterward, Arisa's father had started smoking and drinking, and those habits had resulted in frequent bouts of less than fatherly-like behavior. He often left the house without telling Arisa, for example, sometimes for days at a time, and when he returned, he offered little to no explanation as to where he'd been or what he'd been doing. In time, Arisa came to accept that having an absentee father was just something she would have to learn to live with. And she fared quite well, if she did say so herself. That is, she did until her twelfth birthday.

On that day she'd run home from school with her backpack hoisted up over her head as an umbrella. It was raining, though that fact had done very little to dampen her spirits. It was her birthday, after all, and there'd been a cake waiting for her when she arrived at school. Her homeroom teacher had baked it. In hindsight, Arisa realized this had probably been done out of pity. After all, it couldn't have been a secret how neglected she was at home. The teacher had probably figured that a little time and money spent on a birthday cake could go a long way in some poor kid's life. And it had. Arisa was still on cloud nine when she got home. Her joy was instantly forgone, however, when she saw that someone had tossed all her belongings out onto the front lawn.

_"Dad?"_

Frantic, Arisa had scooped up what she could of the scattered items and rushed inside. As usual, her father was sitting in his armchair in front of the TV. Cigarettes and cans of beer littered the living room floor - more than normal. But that didn't stop Arisa from planting herself between her father and the TV and demanding to know what he'd been thinking, throwing all her crap outside like that, and in the _rain_ , no less. But her father had acted like she wasn't there, not speaking, not even looking at her. Then, finally, after Arisa yelled some more, he told her in an even voice that she no longer lived in his house. At first, Arisa had refused to accept that he really meant what he said.

 _"You're drunk, Dad,"_ she'd kept saying. _"You just need some time to think this over."_

She could still remember the way her tailbone had ached after he kicked her out the door and onto the cold, wet pavement, the way the rain had beat mercilessly down on her body, soaking through her school uniform, matting her hair and making her feel heavier than she'd ever felt in her entire life.

 _"But Dad,"_ she'd screamed, her voice shaking as she forced herself to turn and meet her father's cold, bottomless stare. _"Where...where will I go?"_

 _"Go?_ _It matters little. As far as I'm concerned, from this moment on, you're no longer my problem."_

 _No longer my problem._ Arisa winced at the painful memory of that dark, dreary afternoon.

In the months that followed her banishment from her childhood home, she had had to work ten times as hard as before in order to obtain even the most basic of necessities, things like food, clothing, and shelter. She had worked a few odd jobs in the beginning, but ultimately ended up seeking the help of local thugs, hoping to find refuge and camaraderie within their gang. Those had been dark times. They had been, without question, the absolute worst days of her life.

 _But that's all behind me now,_ she thought as she swung open the door to the small convenience store that she worked at part-time. A tiny bell that was attached to the door tingled as she walked in. She cast a smile in the shop owner's direction and raised a hand in greeting. The shop owner, who was working the front desk as clerk - Hinako - was an old woman, probably nearing her eighth decade, with dark gray hair that she always wore tied back in a tight bun. She was a severe woman, though she had warmed up to Arisa over the course of her employment there at the store. It was not uncommon to see her face soften when addressing the young woman. Sometimes she would even go as far as to return Arisa's smiles, which was precisely what she did that morning.

"Good morning, Uotani," she grunted. "You're in a little early today, aren't you?"

Arisa's smile widened. "Yeah. I need to get a little shopping in before my shift. That cool with you?"

Hinako waved a hand in permission, and Arisa glanced briefly at her wristwatch before making her way down the grocery aisle. It was 4:45 AM, which meant that she had about fifteen minutes until her shift started.

 _Just picking up a few things today,_ she told herself as she stooped and began to browse the snack shelves. Her mouth watered as she pored over the selections. She would have loved to splurge and buy a load of junk food right then and there. But as it stood, she was in no financial state to even consider doing such a thing. While her part-time job at the store was more than enough to cover the expenses of her small studio apartment, she was still on a tight budget. But Arisa was all right with that. Of course, it certainly would've been nice to have a little extra cash in her wallet, though it was hardly the thing that mattered most to her. No, what mattered most to Arisa was the fact that, now, she was living the sort of life that she knew Kyoko Honda would be proud of.

 _Dead or alive, I'm gonna make that woman proud, damn it!_ Arisa laughed softly to herself as she continued to scan the shelves, looking for a tasty treat or two to snack on. But after a few moments, she realized she was no longer really looking at what was in front of her. Her vision began to blur as she found herself reminiscing on happier days of the recent past, the days when Kyoko was still alive.

Kyoko Honda had been like a mother to Arisa, the sort of role model that she had never found in her father. In fact, Kyoko had been the one to help her escape the gang she had joined and get her life back on track. Even now, Arisa found she could still picture Kyoko's face as clearly as though she were right there with her. That woman was always smiling, and _man,_ had it been contagious. But that was just the sort of person she was. She was always trying her best to make the world a better place in whatever way she could, even if it was something as small as offering a kind, genuine smile. Arisa sniffed, and when she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, it came back wet.

 _Aw, hell._ _What am I crying for?_

She used her sleeve to dab the remaining tears from her cheeks, all the while quietly shaking her head to herself in disbelief.

_It's been over a year and still not a day goes by where I don't think about her. Man. I can't even imagine how hard it must be on Tohru. I know she puts on a face at school, even for me and Hana-_

"Excuse me, miss. I don't mean to be intrusive, but...are you all right?"

Arisa's head shot up at the sound of a voice on her left. She turned, her gaze instantly locking on a tall, dark-eyed man with auburn brown hair. He wore a serious expression as he peered down at her, though there was no mistaking the concern in his knitted brow as he patiently awaited her reply. He also, Arisa couldn't help but think, was very handsome, one of the more good-looking customers to ever shop in her store.

 _Heck, who_ _am I kidding?_ she thought. _This guy is freaking_ hot.

She tried to ignore that undeniable fact as she pushed a strand of long blonde hair back behind one of her ears. Then, composing herself, she chuckled. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just reliving some bad memories is all. I'm sorry. Am I in your way?"

She stepped to the side, motioning for the man to take her place. But he shook his head. "No. You weren't in my way. I was only wondering if I could help. That is...if you happened to be troubled."

Arisa had to force herself not to chuckle again. He sounded so awkward and nervous. Could it be that he thought she was attractive, too? Or was he like this with everyone? She shook the question from her mind. "Nah. I'm good. Just taking things one day at a time, you know?"

She groaned inwardly. _Ugh._ _What a lame thing to say!_ Luckily, the stranger didn't think what she'd said was stupid at all. Or at least, if he did, he certainly didn't show it.

"Yes," he said, offering her an encouraging smile. "That's...all any of us can really do, is it not?"

Arisa exhaled, feeling relieved. _Score! He doesn't think I'm a total loser yet!_

"Yeah," she agreed. "It's the only way to get by without going completely crazy. Or at least, that's how it is for me. I don't know about you." She eyed him, taking a moment to more closely examine the more minute details of his attire. He was dressed in a white button-down shirt and a pair of neatly pressed black slacks. In his left hand he carried a glossy leather briefcase. He looked, she thought, like a businessman ready to attend a press conference. The only thing that was missing was a tie.

"You seem to me like you're the type of guy who's got his crap together..." She trailed off as soon as she realized she was speaking far too freely with him. _Shit. He probably thinks I'm some foul-mouthed piece of trash from Osaka,_ she thought, though was surprised when she looked up and saw that his smile had widened.

"Is that really your impression of me?" He turned his head to one side, giving her a look that made her stomach flutter. "Well," he continued, "I hate to disappoint you, but I'm afraid I must confess that I do not, in fact, have my crap together. Quite the opposite, actually."

But Arisa narrowed her eyes, fixing him with a skeptical look. "Oh come on," she said, though she made sure to keep her tone lighthearted so that he would know she was only teasing him. "I'm sure you're just saying that to make me feel better. It's okay. I can take it. Go on, tell me like it is. Your life is _perfect_."

A strange, almost haunted look entered his eyes then, a look that immediately made Arisa want to jam her foot in her mouth. _Damn it! Why am I acting like such an idiot?_

It occurred to her that it was odd that she cared so much what this random person thought of her. But when she tried to make herself brush him off as no one, as she did so easily with most everyone else, she found that she couldn't. Or rather, that she didn't want to.

"Ugh." She sighed, smacking a palm lightly against her forehead. "God, I am _so_ inappropriate sometimes. I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have said that. I was just kidding, though, I _swear_ -"

Gently, he held up a hand to silence her. "It's all right," he said. "No harm done. It's just that, when you said that, for a second there I started to...what was it you said earlier? 'Relive a bad memory?'"

Arisa grinned sheepishly. "Well, I really am sorry. I guess it's wrong of me to assume that anybody's life is perfect, even when they _do_ look the part."

He gave her a curt nod of acknowledgment before turning and walking off slowly down the aisle. Arisa tried not to feel too hurt or disappointed by the abruptness with which he had dismissed her. Her gaze lingered on his back for a moment, though she quickly forced herself to look away and return to the task at hand.

 _My God, he is really hot,_ she kept thinking as she distractedly grabbed bags and boxes of food from various shelves that she passed. _I don't think I've ever seen him come in here before. Have I?_ She froze, considering. _No. No way. If he had, I totally would've noticed._

About five minutes later, she was holding so many groceries in her arms that she could scarcely see where she was going. She began to clumsily make her way toward the register, though was brought to a screeching halt when she felt the sudden weight of a hand on her left shoulder.

"Hey, that's a lot of stuff. Do you need a hand?"

Arisa's heart lurched. It was _him_ again. She could tell by the slight nervousness in his voice as he spoke. _Shit._ She leaped backward, startled by his touch, and the quick, jerking movement she made caused several items to fall from her pile and drop loudly down onto the floor.

_Great. Now he's going to think I'm a klutz. Could this situation possibly get any worse?_

She was about to attempt to retrieve her scattered items, though she had only just bent her knees when she felt his hand press more firmly into her shoulder. "I'll get them," he said, and she didn't argue. In truth, she hadn't had any idea how on earth she was going to pick them up _and_ maintain her hold on the groceries still in her arms, both at the same time.

He put the few things that had fallen in a neat stack on top of her pile. A stray strand of hair slowly fell into Arisa's face as she met his eyes. "Err, thanks," she mumbled.

He smiled, though Arisa couldn't help but think that it looked more like a smirk. "My pleasure." For a second, she thought he was going to walk away again, though instead, he gestured at the front entrance of the store, where several baskets were stacked alongside the door for the convenience of customers. "Would you, perhaps, like me to fetch you a basket?"

Arisa could feel her face reddening. _Seriously, Uotani, snap out of it! And why the hell didn't you get a basket in the first place? You dummy._

"I...uh, no. Thanks, but I don't need one. I was just going to check out now, actually."

He made a short, sweeping gesture in the direction of the front counter, and she nodded, shuffling toward the register that Hinako occupied. Arisa carefully laid everything on the counter. The elderly woman scowled, though Arisa didn't miss the way she kept looking up, glancing back and forth between her and the incredibly good-looking stranger at her side. Arisa held her breath all the while, hoping that Hinako wouldn't ask questions or make a comment. Luckily, she didn't. She didn't speak at all, in fact, until the end of the transaction.

"All right, Uotani, that's going to be 5,029 yen today."

Arisa's stomach dropped.

Had she really bought that much? No. There was no way. Or rather, she could've sworn that she'd stayed within her budget. Then again, she supposed _had_ been rather distracted.

"Uotani?" Hinako's face wrinkled even more as she glared expectantly at the young woman. "Are you going to pay, or what?"

Arisa sputtered a laugh. "Haha. Oh yeah, no problem! Here." With trembling fingers, she reached into her pocket for her wallet. _There's no way in hell I can afford all this stuff_. _I'm going to have to put some of it back. Man, this is super embarrassing. I've completely blown any chance that I had with this guy._

She had just pulled out her wallet when, in a flash of movement, a wad of cash was handed over the counter to Hinako. "I think that should cover it," the stranger said, and before Arisa could even begin to process what was happening, the cash register flew open and the sale was completed. As Hinako collected his change, Arisa whirled around to face him.

"Hey! What the hell? I didn't ask you to do that!"

He seemed somewhat taken aback by her sudden outburst, though his shocked expression was almost instantly replaced with a cheery grin. "I know you didn't. But I wanted to. You couldn't have stopped me even if you'd tried."

But Arisa shook her head, still fuming. "It's not that I don't appreciate it," she told him. "Because I _do_. But I'm a very proud person. I've had to work hard to get to where I am now, and I don't like it when people try to step in and offer me charity. I can provide for myself."

"I have no doubt that you can," he replied as he took his change from Hinako, folded it, and carefully placed it back in his wallet. "I was only trying to be helpful, and to-"

He stopped in mid-speech as suddenly his phone buzzed in his front shirt pocket. Arisa turned away from him to give him some privacy as he opened his phone and read the message. "Well, again, I appreciate the act of kindness," she said. "But really, you didn't need to do that. I'm going to pay you back. And no, you are _not_ allowed to refuse-"

She stopped as she realized that he wasn't even listening to her anymore. He was frowning down at his phone, clearly deep in thought. He seemed to be reading the message over and over again, as though contemplating its meaning. Arisa sighed mentally to herself. _A girlfriend, probably._ _Figures. He's way too good-looking to be single._

"Hey," she said finally in an attempt to break him out of his reverie. "Is everything okay?"

He blinked rapidly. Then, seeing her, he snapped his phone shut and slid it back into his shirt pocket. His face was set with a newfound look of urgency as he regarded her.

 _Man,_ she thought. _He just did a complete one-eighty. I hope it wasn't bad news._

"I'm afraid I must be going," he said. "Urgent family matters demand my attention. Will you be all right from here?"

Arisa just stared. She wished so much that she were quick-witted enough to think of something to say that would make him agree to see her again or, at the very least, get him to tell her more about what it was that was going on with his family. She knew it would be rude to pry, however, so she nodded and said, "Uh, yeah. No worries. I'm an independent girl, remember?"

His lips twitched upward. "Yes," he said. "I most certainly _do_ remember."

Their eyes met, and it was during that brief two or three seconds that Arisa thought she saw something in his face that indicated that maybe, just _maybe,_ he might have feelings for her, too. But the moment was over almost as quickly as it had begun. He bowed to Arisa and turned to take his leave without even uttering so much as a good-bye.

Arisa opened her mouth, straining for something to say, but when she could think of nothing she sighed and turned back to face Hinako. Much to her surprise, the old woman was gesturing wildly in his direction, urging Arisa to say something, _anything_ that might grab his attention again. "Take a chance, girl," she growled. "What do you honestly have to lose?"

She sighed, knowing Hinako was right, and decided to give it one last shot. "Hey!" she shouted just as he had reached the exit. "Hold up! I didn't catch your name!"

He stopped with the door halfway open. "Kureno," he replied at last. "Kureno Sohma."

Arisa blanched. _Sohma? Could he be related to…?_

"Seriously?" she said. "Wow. This is going to sound totally nuts, but I think I actually might know some relatives of yours-"

"I'm sorry," he interrupted, "but I really do have to go. It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Uotani."

* * *

The sun had just begun to peek over the horizon as a sound abruptly jerked Momiji Sohma from his sleep.

The blonde boy sat up and rubbed his eyes, sighing groggily. He was sorry to have been woken from such a wonderful dream. In it, he had been seated at a large table with his family. Not the zodiac members, but his real family, his mother, father, and little sister, Momo. Momiji couldn't remember the specifics of their conversation, but he remembered the way the dream had made him feel, how his mother's lovely face had glowed with pride as she looked at him from across the table. Her eyes were the same shade of chocolatey brown as his and Momo's, and when she'd laughed, those eyes had danced with joy, a joy that Momiji had never seen reflected in them in real life.

 _I should've known in that moment that it was a dream,_ Momiji thought sadly to himself. _Of course I should've. Mama would never smile at me like that. Not if she knew who I was._

Yawning, the rabbit leaned forward, stretching so that he could see the time on the analog clock hanging on the wall. It was just after six in the morning. With another yawn, he cast his sheets aside and stood before padding slowly across the hardwood floor toward his desk. While he still had several hours before he had to be at school, he wanted to take advantage of the extra time to study. Momiji had always made it a point to get good grades, to make his father proud. And, secretly, to make his mother proud, too.

 _I have to be a good student and study hard,_ he thought as he sat down and began shuffling through his notes. _I have to try my best in school so that I can get a good job, like Papa. Mama loves him, and if I grow up to be like him, there's a chance that she'll be proud of me._ Then again, there was also a very good chance that she wouldn't. But he at least had to try.

Because Momiji had a plan.

His father didn't know about it - he would be furious if he did - but someday, after he graduated high school, Momiji swore that he was going to find a way to properly introduce himself to his mother.

She had met him before, of course, though she didn't have any idea what he truly was to her. No doubt she believed he was the son of some wealthy businessman who worked in the office building that her husband owned. Momiji had seen her a handful of times over the years, walking around with little Momo clutching tightly to her skirts. She had always been kind to Momiji, though they'd hardly ever exchanged more than a few polite words. Someday, though, Momiji intended to change that. Someday, he was going to walk up to her and tell her exactly who he was.

Of course, it was Momiji's great hope that she would recognize the terrible mistake she had made in erasing her son from her memory. Momiji smiled grimly to himself. It was a happy thought, but deep down, he knew how unlikely it was that she would react positively to such a shocking revelation. And that's why it was his goal to polish himself as much as possible between now and then. So that, when she _did_ finally meet him, she might see that she hadn't given birth to something grotesque and unworthy after all. Momiji knew that he would have no control over the way she responded to him, though at this point, all he wanted was for her to know the truth. Even more than that, he wanted Momo to know the truth.

He pictured his little sister and the way she always peered so cautiously around her mother, wide brown eyes blinking curiously. Once or twice, Momiji could've sworn he'd seen recognition in her tiny heart-shaped face as she stared up at him. Realistically, he knew such an idea was ridiculous. Momo was only a little girl, after all. There was no way that she had picked up on the striking resemblance between them. Their mother had certainly not noticed any such resemblance, after all. Still, there was a part of Momiji that hoped that one day Momo would look at him, then look in the mirror at herself, and start asking questions. Because he wanted her to know that she had a big brother who cared for her. And even if she never managed to figure it out on her own, Momiji promised himself that one day, he would tell her. He would have to reveal himself to his mother first, though, and that was going to be the hardest part of all.

Momiji sucked in a breath. _I can worry about all that stuff when the time comes. But f_ _or now, I need to make sure that I understand these concepts so that I get a good grade on the test. Maybe I can ask Tohru to help me later._

The thought of Tohru Honda was enough to bring a grin to his boyish face. Tohru never failed to make him happy. Momiji often found that the mere mention of her name was enough to make him forget his worries and focus on the present. He was about to do just that when he heard a shout from somewhere outside. His head instantly shot up at the unexpected sound. _That's_ _right,_ he thought. _Wasn't I woken by a noise earlier?_

He hurried over to his window and pulled back the blinds, squinting against the brightness of the rapidly rising sun. In the distance, he spotted two men walking on one of the Sohma estates many paved pathways. The taller of them was unmistakably Hatori. He walked slowly alongside a thin man in all black clothing. Momiji's breath caught at the sight of Akito. At first he couldn't hear what the two were discussing, but after opening the window, Momiji found he was able to make out the zodiac god's voice clear as day.

"I still cannot believe she would leave me unattended in such a vulnerable state. Everyone is always saying how selfless and compassionate she is, though despite my best efforts, I must confess I still cannot see what it is that makes you all so devoted to her."

Momiji had no idea what he was talking about, though he didn't miss the annoyance in Hatori's voice as he replied, "Stop acting like you don't know what her intentions were in leaving you there." Akito seemed to sulk, and with a pointed glare in his direction, Hatori added, "She may very well have saved your life today, Akito. I believe that warrants at least a little gratitude."

At that, the zodiac god stopped dead in his tracks, as though considering the dragon's words. "Perhaps you are not wrong, Hatori," he said after a beat. "It is indeed possible that I owe the girl a great debt for her actions this morning." He smirked, and Momiji shuddered at the sight. "In fact, the more I think about it, the more I see that you are right. Tohru Honda has done me a great kindness, and it is only right that I find an appropriate way to repay her."

 _Oh no_ , Momiji thought, shaking his head. _That can't mean anything good._

The rabbit slipped on a pair of shoes. Though no one else was home, he made sure to keep his steps extra light as he crept down the hall. Then, after slipping outside, he crawled along the side of the house, searching for a hiding place. He finally settled on a large bush with white blossoms that he knew would keep him well-concealed.

"-as you can see," Akito was saying, "I am in perfectly good health now. So I see no reason why I cannot have her over as a guest."

"Because-" Hatori began, but Akito was quick to interrupt.

" _Because,"_ he shot back, "you are attempting to shield her from me, as usual. While I do admit I used to find it amusing, watching you bend over backwards to protect her, I must say that now I'm growing rather tired of your constant objections to my simple requests."

"You've harmed her before, Akito. Shielding her from you is merely an act of prudence."

Momiji expected Akito to explode in anger, but the zodiac god did no such thing. "So you say," he said, snorting derisively. "There's more to it, though. Don't act like there isn't." A pause, and then: "It's because she reminds you of Kana, isn't it?"

Momiji pressed a hand to his mouth as he peeked around the bush. The pair had only just passed the house, and though Hatori's back was facing Momiji, the long, heavy silence that followed spoke volumes.

 _Gosh, what a cruel thing to say,_ Momiji thought. _Losing Kana was the worst thing to ever happen to poor Hari. Can't Akito just leave him alone already?_

"You never thought I'd mention her name again, did you?" the zodiac god said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "No. You probably assumed I'd forgotten her altogether. I haven't, though, and I likely never will. In vain I have tried, but as it stands, my conscience simply will not allow it."

He paused, looking down at his feet. His shoulders shook with what Momiji could only presume was anger. The rabbit watched him carefully, feeling very worried for Hatori, though he soon found he had nothing to worry about. Just when he was afraid that Akito might strike, his body went completely still.

"I don't believe I ever properly apologized for my shameful actions that day. While I certainly would have never allowed you to marry Kana Sohma, the fact of the matter is that I wronged you, Hatori. I wronged you when I robbed you of your sight. I was furious, yes, but that is no justification for what I did. Out of all my zodiac members, you were by far the least deserving of such a fate. I came to realize this when, after the incident, you continued to show me the same faithfulness and devotion that you had previously." He sighed and shook his head. "Yes, despite what I have done, you still continue to serve me. And _that_ , I believe, warrants more gratitude than anything."

The zodiac god stared down at his hands, which Momiji had only just noticed were trembling. _Could it be that he truly feels sorry for what he did to Hari?_ It didn't seem possible for Akito to be capable of feeling emotions like regret. Which was why his next statement shocked Momiji all the more.

"This guilt...I've kept it locked away inside me for years, though I've never had the courage to speak of it until now."

Still Hatori said nothing in reply. While it usually annoyed Akito when people remained silent for too long, in this particular instance, it didn't seem to bother him in the least.

"I believe Tohru Honda would be proud," he said, seemingly more to himself than to Hatori, "had she been present to witness my heartfelt confession. I will admit it wasn't an easy thing to do, though a shred of decency can go a long way, or so she has told me." He raised his head again so that he could meet Hatori's stare. "Now, then. Do you accept my apology?"

Long at last, the doctor managed to find his voice. "Yes, Akito. I accept your apology with all my heart."

Inside, Momiji was screaming. _No!_ he wanted to cry out in protest. _You_ _can't forgive him for what he did, not like that! It was too easy! You don't owe him anything, Hari. He doesn't own you!_

But even in his head, the words rang false.

The fact was, Akito _did_ own the zodiac. It was why they always kept coming back to him no matter what he did. God spoke, and they listened. God spoke, and they obeyed. It was, in Momiji's opinion, the worst thing about the curse, even worse than transforming into an animal against his will.

 _Even if Akito is sincere in his apology_ , he thought, _I still don't want Hari to forgive him. Not yet, at least. It just doesn't seem right, that he gets to do that to him and get off so easily._

Momiji watched as the zodiac god returned Hatori's nod, trying to appear unfazed, though Momiji could tell he was happy to have the matter resolved as he said, "It occurs to me now that perhaps I ought to present Tohru Honda with _two_ gifts the next time I see her. One for attending to my health concerns, and another for relieving me of this terrible burden. I did not realize it had been weighing so heavily on me all this time."

In response, Hatori cleared his throat. "I think it's wonderful that you've made such a development, Akito," he said, sounding pleased, though Momiji could tell by the slight lilt in his voice that a _but_ was soon to follow.

Right on cue, the doctor added, "Although, I can't help but notice that you have been rather fixated on Miss Honda lately. Ever since Kyo revealed his true form-"

"Don't you _dare_ ," Akito snapped, "speak another word about that wretched creature!"

At that, Hatori heaved a sigh. "Nevertheless, ever since that day, it seems as though you've done nothing but attempt to seek ways to torment and antagonize her-"

"And? What's your point?"

Hatori paused, presumably to shoot a glare in the zodiac god's direction. "My point is that you have become obsessed-"

"I am _not_ obsessed!"

"Oh? Remind me again of all you've been up to this last week. Thus far you have: telephoned her without my permission, invited her to the Sohma estate without first informing me of your intentions, stolen my car _twice_ -"

Akito stuck up his chin. The action reminded Momiji of a defiant child. "I am merely concerned for the well-being of our family. I wanted to make absolutely certain that she is not a threat-"

But Hatori cut him off there. "I have a difficult time believing that. You didn't seem to be the least bit concerned about her last year, when Shigure first informed you that she was living with him and Yuki. It is only recently that you have become particularly fascinated with her, and I can't help wondering what, exactly-"

"It was a test," Akito growled.

The doctor waited, but when Akito didn't elaborate, he prompted, "What was a test?"

"The cat's revelation. Don't you see, Hatori? I didn't think the girl could stomach it. I never thought she would be able to handle the full truth of the zodiac curse. Surely she would reject us once she found out what we really were, especially the cat. But I was wrong. Against all odds, she passed the test. Then, several days later, when she called on me at the Main House, I decided to test her again. I confirmed what everyone had almost certainly already told her, that I am a vile, loathsome creature who harms his own family and finds joy in doing so. I showed her what the curse has made me. I _showed_ her, but still she did not run. _S_ _till_ she did not spit in my face and tell me what a monster I am. It was then and only then that I knew I had lost."

"That you had lost what?" Hatori asked him.

Akito's reply was so quiet that Momiji almost didn't hear. "Your favor."

Hatori seemed like he was about to protest, but Akito waved him off. "Oh come now, Hatori, there's no point in trying to deny it. You love her. All of you do. As soon as I had fully realized this, I knew that I had no choice but to find some way to turn you against her - to find a reason, any reason, to continue to hate her. Because if I did not, I knew that it would only be a matter of time before…"

Momiji held his breath, waiting, though the zodiac god seemed either unable or unwilling to finish his thought.

"Before what?" Hatori demanded. "What is it that you're trying to tell me?"

He took a step forward, but Akito thrust an arm in the doctor's direction, the action making it clear he was not in want of comfort. "I...oh, never mind." The zodiac god pressed a hand to his forehead and gazed up at the sky. "My, it's getting hot out here. I suppose that's a sign I ought to turn in and get some rest."

They both continued on their way toward the Main House, though Momiji remained seated in the dirt, hugging his knees to himself as he mulled over everything he'd just heard.

 _Akito was sure talking a lot about Tohru. And that scares me. I know he's hurt her before...what if he's planning to do it again?_ His tiny hands curled into fists atop his knees. _I've got to warn her._

He stood, ready to race back into his house, but that's when a voice behind him spoke.

"Momiji? Is that you?"

The rabbit spun, gasping as he found himself staring into the face of Kureno Sohma, the rooster of the Chinese zodiac - or, well, ex-rooster, to be more precise. Momiji only referred to him as such in his thoughts, though, as Akito had strictly forbidden anyone in the family from acknowledging that he was no longer part of the zodiac.

For a moment, Momiji could do nothing but stare at the ghost in front of him. Two years. It had been almost two years since Kureno's zodiac curse had been lifted, meaning that it had also been two years since anyone in the family had seen him.

_Why has he come back now, after all this time?_

He still remembered the day he learned that Kureno's curse had been broken. Everyone had been shocked, if not a little upset by the news, though no matter how much Momiji had pried, no one had seemed able to tell him how or why it had happened. It just...had. Momiji didn't know many of the details surrounding the event, but he did know that Akito had, unsurprisingly, been infuriated by the whole thing. Apparently, he'd immediately summoned Kureno to his room and demanded that the ex-rooster continue living as though nothing of consequence had occurred. But Kureno had refused, even going as far as to tell Akito that he was leaving town altogether. The rumor was that Akito had then rushed at him in a rage, only to be swiftly apprehended and dragged away by Hatori, all the while kicking and screaming and angrily declaring that, "It isn't fair! It isn't fair!"

 _What isn't fair?_ Momiji had wondered after hearing of the incident. But that had been many years ago, and now that Momiji was older and - he liked to think - wiser, he found he knew perfectly well what it was that Akito had been so upset about that day.

 _I don't think he was angry with Kureno for leaving us_. _Not really. No, I think he was more jealous than anything._

When Kureno's curse broke, it meant that he got to live a normal life. And that, Momiji was certain, was what Akito most wanted. _It's what any of us most wants, truthfully._

"Momiji? Are you all right?"

Momiji blinked up at Kureno as he regarded the rabbit with an almost fatherly-like concern.

"Um. Yeah, I'm all right," Momiji replied as he absentmindedly began to scratch the back of his neck. "It's just that...wow. I guess I'm surprised-"

"To see me here?" Kureno nodded slowly. "Yes. I must admit I'm rather surprised to be here myself. But I received a message from Shigure this morning, a message that I simply cannot ignore, much as I might want to."

"A message?" Momiji frowned. "What kind of message? Is everything okay?"

Kureno smiled, though he pointedly ignored the question. "I'd love to stay and talk, but I'm afraid I really must be going. It was nice to see you again, Momiji. Please tell your father I said hello."

He started to walk away, but Momiji chased after him. "Hey, wait!" he called, holding up a hand. "I want to go with you-"

"I think it's best you don't."

"B-but I-"

Kureno's expression turned solemn. "Akito has fallen ill again. From what I understand, he may very well be nearing his end. That said, he is not a person that is to be underestimated. I don't think I need to remind you of the kinds of things that often occur when he finds himself unable to control his temper."

Momiji shuddered, thinking of Hatori, and Kureno nodded approvingly at the reaction. "Akito is a dangerous man, and children like you ought to avoid being in his company at all costs." He turned on his heel, his voice warm but somehow distant as he said, "Run along and play, Momiji. You'll be much safer for it."

He continued down the path then, and Momiji stared after him, open-mouthed. Akito was dying? Somehow, Momiji doubted that was true. On the off-chance that it was, though, he couldn't but wonder what such a thing would mean for him and the rest of the zodiac. Would their curses be lifted when their god died, as Kureno's had been? Or would they simply continue on as they were, cursed until the time of their deaths?

Momiji watched Kureno disappear into the Main House. As selfish as it was, the rabbit often found himself praying that one day, against all odds, the rest of the zodiac curses would be lifted...even if it meant Akito had to die in order for that to happen.

Guilt prickled at the back of his mind, and he shook his head quickly back and forth, eyes burning with the threat of tears. He couldn't let himself cry, and he certainly couldn't allow himself to wish death upon anyone, not even Akito. No, if there was a way to break the zodiac curse, then Momiji wanted all of them to be broken, even God's. But was such a thing even possible?

 _I sure hope so,_ he thought. _Someday, somehow...I hope we all can be delivered from this terrible curse. And maybe then, on that day…_

Maybe then, he would finally have the courage to face his mother and his sister. At last, maybe then, everything would begin to feel all right again.

**Author's Note:**

> FYI: If you frequent other fanfiction sites and feel like you've seen this story before, it's because you have. This work currently exists in two places online.


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